noble

[ noh-buhl ]

See synonyms for: noble nobler noblest nobleness 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

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin (g)nōbilis “notable, of high rank,” equivalent to (g)nō-, root of (g)nōscere “to get to know, find out” + -bilis adjective suffix; see origin at know¹,-ble

synonym study For noble

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.

Other words for noble

3	highborn, aristocratic; patrician, blue-blooded
4	lofty, elevated, high-minded, principled; magnanimous; honorable, estimable, worthy, meritorious
5	grand, dignified, august
6	majestic, grand, stately; magnificent, imposing, splendid, impressive; regal, imperial, lordly
7	noteworthy, notable, outstanding, exemplary, exceptional
8	famed, celebrated, acclaimed, distinguished
11	peer; aristocrat, blue blood, patrician

See synonyms for noble on Thesaurus.com

Opposites for noble

3	baseborn, lowborn; common, plebian; lower-class, working-class, middle-class, bourgeois
4	ignoble, base; vulgar, common
5	undignified, disreputable, unrespected
6	insignificant, mean, paltry; modest, plain, ordinary
7	inferior, ordinary, unexceptional
8	unknown, obscure, remarkable
11	commoner, serf, peasant

See antonyms for noble on Thesaurus.com

Other words from noble

no·ble·ness, noun
non·no·ble, adjective
o·ver·no·ble, adjective
o·ver·no·ble·ness, noun
o·ver·no·b·ly, adverb
pseu·do·no·ble, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use noble in a sentence

Our noblest people paid with their souls so that we can build a country where we can live in freedom, justice, and dignity.
Egyptians to John Kerry: Stop Backing Dictators | Gameela Ismail | March 9, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
If a fortune is truly yours to make, it can only be had on your noblest terms.
Horoscopes for June 12-18, 2011 | Starsky + Cox | June 12, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
Washington, unbending in his role as the noblest republican of them all, administered a severe blow to imperial pride.
Washington in Victory | Piers Brendon | October 10, 2008 | THE DAILY BEAST
He was a patriot of the noblest and most extensive views, and justly celebrated as a man of learning, eloquent and refined.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel Munsell
A vain woman could not have won the love and homage of so many of the noblest men of France.
Madame Roland, Makers of History | John S. C. Abbott

Those fishers are, physically, the flower of our race, and many of them have the noblest moral qualities.
The Chequers | James Runciman
Some of the noblest names of Rome occur in funeral epitaphs in some of the most ancient galleries of the Catacombs.
The Catacombs of Rome | William Henry Withrow
The Félibrige has given expression to all that is noblest and best in the race, and has invariably led onward and upward.
Frdric Mistral | Charles Alfred Downer

British Dictionary definitions for noble

noble

/ (ˈnəʊbəl) /

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; magnanimous: a noble deed

having dignity or eminence; illustrious
grand or imposing; magnificent: a noble avenue of trees
of superior quality or kind; excellent: a 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 above: Compare 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

Origin of noble

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

Derived forms of noble

nobleness, noun
nobly, adverb

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

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