noble

[noh-buh l]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR noble ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, no·bler, no·blest.

distinguished by rank or title.

pertaining to persons so distinguished.

of, belonging to, or constituting a hereditary class that has special social or political status in a country or state; of or pertaining to the aristocracy.

of an exalted moral or mental character or excellence: a noble thought.

admirable in dignity of conception, manner of expression, execution, or composition: a noble poem.

very impressive or imposing in appearance: a noble monument.

of an admirably high quality; notably superior; excellent.

famous; illustrious; renowned.

Chemistry. inert; chemically inactive.

Falconry. (of a hawk) having excellent qualities or abilities.

noun

a person of noble birth or rank; nobleman or noblewoman.

a former gold coin of England, first issued in 1346 by Edward III, equal to half a mark or 6s. 8d., replaced in 1464 under Edward IV by the rose noble.

(in Britain) a peer.

Origin of noble

1175–1225; Middle English < Old French < Latin (g)nōbilis ‘notable, of high rank’, equivalent to (g)nō-, base of (g)nōscere ‘to get to know, find out’ (see know¹) + -bilis -ble

Related formsno·ble·ness, nounnon·no·ble, adjectiveo·ver·no·ble, adjectiveo·ver·no·ble·ness, nouno·ver·no·b·ly, adverbpseu·do·no·ble, adjective

Can be confusedNobel noble

Synonym study

4. Noble, high-minded, magnanimous agree in referring to lofty principles and loftiness of mind or spirit. Noble implies a loftiness of character or spirit that scorns the petty, mean, base, or dishonorable: a noble deed. High-minded implies having elevated principles and consistently adhering to them: a high-minded pursuit of legal reforms. Magnanimous suggests greatness of mind or soul, especially as manifested in generosity or in overlooking injuries: magnanimous toward his former enemies.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for noble

virtuous, great, splendid, extraordinary, imposing, grand, magnificent, distinguished, charitable, benevolent, brilliant, worthy, honorable, humane, gracious, high-minded, dignified, lofty, aristocrat, patrician

Examples from the Web for noble

Contemporary Examples of noble

The skateboarder is as irredeemably evil as the others are noble.
The 2014 Novel of the Year
Nathaniel Rich
December 29, 2014
If the noble experiment of American democracy is to mean anything, it is fidelity to the principle of freedom.
The Sony Hack and America’s Craven Capitulation To Terror
David Keyes
December 19, 2014
And the string of episodes that aired before that were gripping, noble, and simply entertaining to watch.
'The Newsroom' Ended As It Began: Weird, Controversial, and Noble
Kevin Fallon
December 15, 2014
It creates a cynicism in us that is not the most noble of things to dwell upon.
Ron Perlman's Secret Suicide Attempt
William O’Connor
October 28, 2014
The Nobel committee said he was continuing in the noble tradition of Mahatma Gandhi.
Malala Yousafzai Is the Youngest Nobel Peace Prize Winner in History
Nico Hines
October 10, 2014

Historical Examples of noble

And of necessity, even the noble have their moments of deshabille.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
Often he cursed himself as a wretch for paining that pure and noble heart.
Malbone
Thomas Wentworth Higginson
Above all, our noble jester succeeds in his mission of laugh-producing.
The Dramatic Values in Plautus
Wilton Wallace Blancke
"I give not the pip of an apple for king or for noble," cried the serf passionately.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
We must cultivate the noble virtues that have their root in pride.
A Treatise on Parents and Children
George Bernard Shaw

British Dictionary definitions for noble

noble

adjective

of or relating to a hereditary class with special social or political status, often derived from a feudal period

of or characterized by high moral qualities; magnanimousa noble deed

having dignity or eminence; illustrious

grand or imposing; magnificenta noble avenue of trees

of superior quality or kind; excellenta noble strain of horses

chem

(of certain elements) chemically unreactive
(of certain metals, esp copper, silver, and gold) resisting oxidation

falconry

designating long-winged falcons that capture their quarry by stooping on it from aboveCompare ignoble
designating the type of quarry appropriate to a particular species of falcon

noun

a person belonging to a privileged social or political class whose status is usually indicated by a title conferred by sovereign authority or descent

(in the British Isles) a person holding the title of duke, marquess, earl, viscount, or baron, or a feminine equivalent

a former Brit gold coin having the value of one third of a pound

Derived Formsnobleness, nounnobly, adverb

Word Origin for noble

C13: via Old French from Latin nōbilis, originally, capable of being known, hence well-known, noble, from noscere to know

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

Word Origin and History for noble

adj.

c.1200, "illustrious, distinguished; worthy of honor or respect," from Old French noble "of noble bearing or birth," from Latin nobilis "well-known, famous, renowned; excellent, superior, splendid; high-born, of superior birth," earlier *gnobilis, literally "knowable," from gnoscere "to come to know," from PIE root *gno- "to know" (see know). The prominent Roman families, which were "well known," provided most of the Republic's public officials.

Meaning "distinguished by rank, title, or birth" is first recorded late 13c. Sense of "having lofty character, having high moral qualities" is from c.1600. A noble gas (1902) is so called for its inactivity or intertness; a use of the word that had been applied in Middle English to precious stones, metals, etc., of similar quality (late 14c.), from the sense of "having admirable properties" (c.1300).

"man of rank," c.1300, from noble (adj.). The same noun sense also is in Old French and Latin. Late 14c. as the name of an English coin first issued in reign of Edward III.