Respect refers to an attitude of consideration or high regard. It commonly describes good opinion, honor, or admiration, a particular aspect, feature or detail of something, and good will; favor, which gives the term a broader and more practical sense than a single short definition would suggest. Depending on context, it can also point to to have respect for, to have regard for something, to observe a custom, practice, rule or right, and to abide by an agreement, so the category can cover literal uses, related ideas, and more figurative extensions of the same core meaning. Taken together, these meanings present Respect as a flexible theme rather than a narrowly technical label, covering the central idea people usually mean when they use the word while still leaving room for closely related senses that appear in real language. Additional shades of meaning include to take notice of; to regard as worthy of special consideration; to heed, to regard; to consider; to deem, to look toward; to face, and hello, hi, which reinforce how the category can stretch across adjacent but still recognizable uses of the same term. Respect therefore works well as a quotation category because it can hold direct statements about the subject, figurative uses that borrow its meaning, and broader reflections that stay anchored to the same central idea.
