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• a variation of honor.

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  noun

  honor.
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honour

American  

[on-er] / ˈɒn ər /

noun

Chiefly British.

1. honor.

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honour ¹ British  

/ ˈɒnə /

noun

1. personal integrity; allegiance to moral principles

2. 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

7. 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

9. 1. to pay homage to

   2. to be a credit to

10. 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

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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)

Honour ² British  

/ ˈɒnə /

noun

1. 1. a title used to or of certain judges

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

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Spelling

See -or ¹.

Other Word Forms

• honourer
  noun
• honourless
  adjective

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

honour Honour

In June, Brook said it would be an "honour" to be asked to succeed Stokes.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

"I'm able to honour my culture, but also try new things, because that's who I am."

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

He added: "It would be a great honour to represent my country as national coach one day. However, this was not the right moment for me."

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

Kusman, 86, has dedicated his life to the fortress of Cavustepe in eastern Turkey, and to learning the language of the vanished kingdom of Urartu, to honour its forgotten gods and rulers.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

I showed Ma and Pa the paper Mrs. Holton had writ and they told me it was a great honour to do this, that I had to do the best job I could.

From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis

During the Napoleonic Wars, the Honour Oak marked the boundary beyond which French prisoners of war living in Tavistock on parole were not allowed to travel.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

He briefly smiled at members of his defence team before quietly responding to the judge with "Good morning, Your Honour", and "Yes, Your Honour".

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Acclaimed worldwide, Britain made him a Companion of Honour in 1997.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

Habibti leans more towards R&B, while Maid of Honour is dance music-inspired.

From BBC ● May 22, 2026

Bod said, “Tell me about the Honour Guard, Silas. You’re in it. Miss Lupescu was. Who else? Are there a lot of you? What do you do?”

From "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman