honorable
Americanadjective
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in accordance with or characterized by principles of honor; upright.
They were all honorable men.
- Antonyms:
- ignoble
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of high rank, dignity, or distinction; noble, illustrious, or distinguished.
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worthy of honor and high respect; estimable; creditable.
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bringing honor or credit; consistent with honor.
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(initial capital letter)
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(used as a title of respect for certain ranking government officials.)
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British. (used as a title of courtesy for children of peers ranking below a marquis.) Hon.
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of honorable
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English hono(u)rable, from Anglo-French, from Latin honōrābilis; equivalent to honor + -able
Explanation
The word honorable has to do with people and actions that are honest, fair, and worthy of respect. An honorable person is someone who believes in truth and doing the right thing — and tries to live up to those high principles. When you lose a game, it's honorable to shake hands. If you smash into someone's parked car, it's honorable to leave a note so they can contact you. Telling the truth is honorable. This word is also used for people who are deserving of being honored, like when judges are called "The honorable Judge So-and-so."
Vocabulary lists containing honorable
An "August" Assortment: Words Worthy of Honor
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More Positive Words to Describe a Person
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Tears of a Tiger
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
With Journal colleagues, he received an Honorable Mention at the 2020 Sabew awards for coverage of the pandemic’s impact on airlines.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026
It received a Best Paper Honorable Mention recognition, while a demo of the research team's broader robotic feeding system received a Best Demo Award.
From Science Daily • May 9, 2024
That brings us back at last to Dr. Renat Shafik, who prefers the nickname Minouche, and whose full title in the British House of Lords is the Right Honorable Baroness Shafik DBE.
From Salon • Apr. 28, 2024
Maxwell was named to the Pac-12 Conference All-Freshman Team and was twice a Pac-12 Honorable Mention.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 24, 2024
She told me that when The Honorable Elijah Muhammad was in Detroit, he would stay as a guest at my brother Wilfred’s home, which was on McKay Street.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
