honor
Americannoun
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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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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:
He desires respectability, but savors the buzz, the camaraderie — the honor among thieves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
"We fought a great fight. It was my honor to share the ring with her."
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
In normal times, a White House visit is a grand honor for a championship club.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
We weren’t sure whether to write about the late senator in this entry or retire an entry in his honor, so frequently was he a subject of this newsletter.
From Slate ● Jul. 18, 2026
It was an honor to be selected to be among the first Colored students to integrate a university.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
The newly discovered spider was found at elevations above 2,000 meters, and its species name, himalayana, honors the mountain range where it was discovered.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026
Yamal, an 18-year-old prodigy, showed flashes of his talent and set up his teammates well en route to winning man of the match honors that more than a few Spanish media members questioned.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
The writer lived in this building, well before it was known for its oxtail, and the restaurant honors him by displaying a dusty bottle rack said to be his, I don’t ask.
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026
He received full scholarships to New York University and Harvard Law School and graduated with honors from both.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
Then about ninety of us, our three sections of honors English students, spent a weekend with Volpe and a couple of other teachers at the American Shakespeare Festival Theater in Stratford, Connecticut.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
“I was honored to know, love and work with her and she will always have a place in my heart and in the heart of so many film and TV fans the world over.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
“We are honored to be entrusted as the next stewards of the Seattle Seahawks,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
She was one of four researchers honored for their work on HPV-related cancers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Asked about how the president feels to have the Florida airport named after him, Eric Trump said he was "honored" and "humbled."
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
When the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh honored the Mercury 13, the event made news because the story had been kept fairly quiet for almost 50 years.
From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson
The museum’s panorama of ageless ambience is this summer enhanced by increased yet snappy security and a handsome “John Williams Stage” plaque honoring L.A.’s beloved composer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
The name gallium comes from Gaul, the ancient Latin name for France, honoring the nationality of its discoverer.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026
“We’re so delighted to have her join us as the host of this year’s Emmys telecast and know that she will create an unforgettable evening honoring the very best of television.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
In another, Pittman declared a mistrial because one attorney in the case wore a civil rights-themed t-shirt, honoring the death of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, claiming that the t-shirt contaminated the entire jury pool.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
I would never be able to give my father a proper burial, but by honoring the dead, I felt like I was rewinding the clock.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
