honor
Americannoun
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honors
plural
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honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions.
a man of honor.
- Synonyms:
- uprightness, probity
- Antonyms:
- dishonesty, dishonor
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a source of credit or distinction.
to be an honor to one's family.
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high respect, as for worth, merit, or rank.
to be held in honor.
- Synonyms:
- veneration, reverence, homage, deference
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such respect manifested.
a memorial in honor of the dead.
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high public esteem; fame; glory.
He has earned his position of honor.
- Synonyms:
- distinction
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the privilege of being associated with or receiving a favor from a respected person, group, organization, etc..
I had the honor of serving on the Pulitzer Prize jury.
It is an honor to introduce this evening's speaker.
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Usually honors. evidence, as a special ceremony, decoration, scroll, or title, of high rank, dignity, or distinction.
political honors;
military honors.
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Honor, a deferential title of respect, especially for judges and mayors (preceded by His, Her, Your, etc.).
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honors,
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special rank or distinction conferred by a university, college, or school upon a student for eminence in scholarship or success in some particular subject.
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an advanced course of study for superior students.
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especially historically, chastity or purity in a woman.
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Also called honor card. Cards.
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Bridge. any of the five highest trump cards, as an ace, king, queen, jack, or ten in the trump suit, or any of the four aces in a no-trump contract.
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Whist. any of the four highest trump cards, as an ace, king, queen, or jack in the trump suit.
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Golf. the privilege of teeing off before the other player or side, given after the first hole to the player or side that won the previous hole.
verb (used with object)
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honors,
present (3rd person singular)
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honored,
past participle, past
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honoring
present participle
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to hold in honor or high respect; revere.
to honor one's parents.
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to treat with honor.
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to confer honor or distinction upon.
The university honored her with its leadership award.
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to worship, glorify, or serve (a deity).
Believers honor Hanuman as the embodiment of strength and courage.
May he grow to be a man who loves and honors God.
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to show a courteous regard for.
to honor an invitation.
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Commerce. to accept or pay (a draft, check, etc.).
All credit cards are honored here.
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to accept as valid and conform to the request or demands of (an official document).
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(in square dancing) to meet or salute with a bow.
adjective
idioms
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do honor to,
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to show respect to.
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to be a credit to.
Such good students would do honor to any teacher.
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do the honors, to serve or preside as host, as in introducing people, or carving or serving at table.
Father did the honors at the family Thanksgiving dinner.
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be on / upon one's honor, to accept and acknowledge personal responsibility for one's actions.
West Point cadets are on their honor not to cheat on an exam.
noun
Synonym Usage
Honor, honesty, integrity, sincerity refer to the highest moral principles and the absence of deceit or fraud. Honor denotes a fine sense of, and a strict conformity to, what is considered morally right or due: a high sense of honor; on one's honor. Honesty denotes the presence of probity and particularly the absence of deceit or fraud, especially in business dealings: uncompromising honesty and trustworthiness. Integrity indicates a soundness of moral principle that no power or influence can impair: a man of unquestioned integrity and dependability. Sincerity implies absence of dissimulation or deceit, and a strong adherence to truth: His sincerity was evident in every word. Honor, consideration, distinction refer to the regard in which one is held by others. Honor suggests a combination of liking and respect: His colleagues held him in great honor. Consideration suggests honor because of proved worth: a man worthy of the highest consideration. Distinction suggests particular honor because of qualities or accomplishments: She achieved distinction as a violinist at an early age.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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honorernoun
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overhonorverb (used with object)
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rehonorverb (used with object)
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honorlessadjective
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self-honoredadjective
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unhonoredadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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honorsimple
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honorssimple
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have honoredperfect
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has honoredperfect
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am honoringprogressive
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are honoringprogressive
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is honoringprogressive
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have been honoringperfect progressive
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has been honoringperfect progressive
Past
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honoredsimple
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had honoredperfect
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was honoringprogressive
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were honoringprogressive
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had been honoringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of honor
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English noun (h)onour, (h)onor, from Old French (h)onor, onur, from Latin honōr- (stem of honor, earlier honōs); verb ultimately derivative of the noun
Explanation
Honor has many uses, all of them good. If you are called a man of honor, you are respected. If someone honors you, they recognize and award you for your achievements. The term honor has always been a word used to describe men and women of high moral worth or great achievement. It can be used as either a noun or verb, and in many different settings. People graduate from college with honor, meaning they have outstanding grades. A woman of honor is pure and decent. Soldiers are buried with full military honors, which means they are given gun salutes and trumpet calls and the nation's fullest respect.
Vocabulary lists containing honor
Veterans Day Vocabulary
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A Graduation Lexicon
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"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling
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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.
See Examples For:
It’s a potent cocktail made of Coca-Cola and clear spirits that tavern co-owner Owen Walsh drummed up in honor of the unexpected guest that made landfall a few days ago: a charred spacecraft.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
Trump, 80, is expected to take a ceremonial lap of honor in his armored limousine dubbed "The Beast" and then wave the green flag to start the race.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
Legal scholars have debated whether surrogates should pay legal damages if they fail to honor a contractual abortion provision, surrender payments remaining on the contract, or even pay back money they already received.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
“It felt like I got to honor the film and the Broadway show, and the mixed media of both worlds,” Scott said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
For Grace, in honor of her eighth-grade graduation.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
The game honors you, and the game tests you.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
“Owning the Los Angeles Lakers has been one of the great honors of my life,” Walter said in a statement announcing the deal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
"Owning the Los Angeles Lakers has been one of the great honors of my life," said Walter.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Its species name honors Dr. Harald Schillhammer of the Natural History Museum Vienna for his extensive and outstanding contributions to rove beetle research.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
He was naturally pleased with these honors but “most of all,” he stated, “I’m proud that I have played such a role in the founding of a new branch of archaeology.”
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
His work has also been honored by Investigative Reporters & Editors and Associated Press Sports Editors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Fanning adds that she is genuinely honored by the nominations, no matter how trite it may sound.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
In a June LinkedIn post, Kubasik wrote: “We are deeply honored to deliver to the Commander-in-Chief a symbol of American strength that meets the nation’s highest standards without compromise.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
AFP journalist Christina Assi, who lost a leg in an Israeli strike while reporting from the Lebanese border, will be honored at the International Press Freedom Awards, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Maybe living in the shadow of these great men made them feel honored and special.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
As a longtime Dodgers fan and former partial season ticket-holder, I decided to attend Saturday’s game honoring my former mentor and coach Reggie Smith.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
“Vandalizing our World War II Memorial is a despicable attack on a sacred monument honoring the Americans who fought and died for our freedom,” Pirro said on social media.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
“Why not keep something going? And it’s just honoring my dad, you know?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Actor and Tibetan activist Richard Gere headlined an hourslong Times Square rally on Saturday honoring Lobga where many wore T-shirts depicting him as a martyr surrounded by flames.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
This is my final honoring to Kwang, my last offering, which is the sole way of giving I have known in my life: an omission, solemn and prone.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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.
