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honour

American  
[on-er] / ˈɒn ər /

noun

Chiefly British.

  1. honor.

honour 1 British  
/ ˈɒnə /

noun

  1. personal integrity; allegiance to moral principles

    1. fame or glory

    2. a person or thing that wins this for another

      he is an honour to the school

  3. (often plural) great respect, regard, esteem, etc, or an outward sign of this

  4. (often plural) high or noble rank

  5. a privilege or pleasure

    it is an honour to serve you

  6. a woman's virtue or chastity

    1. bridge poker any of the top five cards in a suit or any of the four aces at no trumps

    2. whist any of the top four cards

  8. golf the right to tee off first

    1. to pay homage to

    2. to be a credit to

    1. to serve as host or hostess

    2. to perform a social act, such as carving meat, proposing a toast, etc

  11. slang:school an exclamation pledging honour

  12. under a moral obligation

  13. out of respect for

  14. on the pledge of one's word or good name

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to hold in respect or esteem

  2. to show courteous behaviour towards

  3. to worship

  4. to confer a distinction upon

  5. to accept and then pay when due (a cheque, draft, etc)

  6. to keep (one's promise); fulfil (a previous agreement)

  7. to bow or curtsy to (one's dancing partner)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Honour 2 British  
/ ˈɒnə /

noun

    1. a title used to or of certain judges

    2. (in Ireland) a form of address in general use

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Spelling

See -or 1.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of honour

C12: from Old French onor, from Latin honor esteem

Explanation

Honour is the British English spelling of the word "honor." Honour means respect or prestige. If a teacher wants her students to treat her with honour, she has to be worthy of it, showing them the respect they deserve. An honour is also a tangible award that you are given for some accomplishment. If your grades are great, you might receive an honour at the academic awards banquet. As a verb, honour means to show a high amount of respect. In traditional wedding vows, both the bride and groom promise to love and honour each other.

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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.

His family was presented with an award as he was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame's Roll of Honour.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

Sir Kazuo, whose books include 1989's The Remains of the Day and 2005's Never Let Me Go, for which he won the Man Booker Prize, was made a Companion of Honour.

From BBC • Nov. 4, 2025

His Honour Judge Timothy Spencer KC told him he faced "extremely serious charges".

From BBC • Aug. 29, 2025

French was given a place on the Rugby Football League's Roll of Honour in 2008.

From BBC • Jul. 26, 2025

Then, “No matter. Little pitchers have big ears, as they say. Yes. The Honour Guard.”

From "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman

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.