respectable
Americanadjective
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worthy of respect or esteem; estimable; worthy.
a respectable citizen.
- Synonyms:
- honorable
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of good social standing, reputation, etc..
a respectable neighborhood.
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suitable or good enough to be seen or used.
respectable clothes; respectable language.
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of moderate excellence; fairly good; fair.
a respectable performance.
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appreciable in size, number, or amount.
a respectable turnout.
adjective
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having or deserving the respect of other people; estimable; worthy
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having good social standing or reputation
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having socially or conventionally acceptable morals, standards, etc
a respectable woman
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relatively or fairly good; considerable
a respectable salary
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fit to be seen by other people; presentable
Other Word Forms
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nonrespectableadjective
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nonrespectablenessnoun
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nonrespectablyadverb
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prerespectableadjective
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quasi-respectableadjective
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quasi-respectablyadverb
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respectabilitynoun
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respectablenessnoun
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respectablyadverb
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semirespectableadjective
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superrespectableadjective
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superrespectablenessnoun
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superrespectablyadverb
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ultrarespectableadjective
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ultrarespectablenessnoun
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ultrarespectablyadverb
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unrespectableadjective
Etymology
Origin of respectable
Explanation
Something or someone respectable is honest, good, and proper. Respectable behavior includes things like contributing to charity, volunteering at an animal shelter, and helping your friends study vocabulary. Anything or anyone respectable deserves respect for being honorable or moral. If you return a wallet that you find on the street, that’s respectable behavior. People would probably view you as a respectable person. However, if you removed all the money from the wallet before returning it, that’s not respectable. Respectable can also be used to describe to an adequate or large amount of something. If you return the wallet untouched, you might get a respectable sum as a reward.
Vocabulary lists containing respectable
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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Walk Two Moons
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
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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.
Respectable, if you enjoy waiting half a century for what amounts to a decent used car.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 9, 2025
Wilson Bicycling Assn. and volunteer with the Lowelifes Respectable Citizens’ Club — nonprofits that restore trails.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2025
Respectable politicians are expected to back helpful policies, campaign by explaining their benefits and, sure, show up at ribbon-cutting ceremonies to claim credit for every dollar funneled toward constituents.
From New York Times • Apr. 13, 2022
Respectable scientists like Stephen Hawking have argued that such a singularity will, in fact, mark the "end of the human race."
From Salon • Jul. 27, 2021
Respectable people do not become painters: only overblown, pretentious, theatrical people.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
