noblesse
Britishnoun
-
noble birth or condition
-
the noble class
Etymology
Origin of noblesse
C13: from Old French; see noble
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.
Mr. Broderick, himself a sometime movie star, brings a slyly funny air of noblesse oblige that dovetails amusingly with Jay’s pompous, blinkered dimness.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
When Pritzker finds himself explaining why he does what he does, he often falls back on the vague language of noblesse oblige—that “we” have a responsibility to “lift up” or “stand up” for “the vulnerable.”
From Slate • Sep. 18, 2025
There might be just a dash of noblesse oblige in there, too, a little well-intentioned clemency from soccer’s great conqueror.
From New York Times • Mar. 8, 2024
His noblesse oblige masked a steely newsman who stood by his publication and industry whenever they were under attack.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2023
Remote cousins and family friends whom mere acquaintanceship invested with a sort of blood obligation noblesse oblige.
From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner
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.
