reputable
Americanadjective
-
held in good repute; honorable; respectable; estimable.
a reputable organization.
-
considered to be good or acceptable usage; standard.
reputable speech.
adjective
-
having a good reputation; honoured, trustworthy, or respectable
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(of words) acceptable as good usage; standard
Other Word Forms
- nonreputable adjective
- nonreputably adverb
- reputability noun
- reputableness noun
- reputably adverb
- subreputable adjective
- subreputably adverb
- unreputable adjective
Etymology
Origin of reputable
Explanation
Want the real scoop on your favorite singer's latest romance? Then you should probably find a more reputable source than the tabloids — meaning someone with a better reputation, in this case for telling the truth. That's the thing with reputable reputations. People know you can be trusted, that you're honest and not trying to pull one over on anybody. Reputable institutions usually have a history of excellent service or outstanding work, and always come highly recommended. Reputable used car salesmen may seem scarce. The word reputable actually has a good deal of reputability itself, since it's been in standard use since the 17th century.
Vocabulary lists containing reputable
100 SAT words Beginning with "R"
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List 2
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Words from the 2020 Vice Presidential Debate
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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.
When I was starting out, you couldn’t really start your career without getting music released and having music signed by a reputable label.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026
Memorial and Novaya Gazeta, both founded around the collapse of the Soviet Union, are Russia's two most reputable and renowned organisations reporting and documenting human rights abuses.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
The reputable ones won’t stop reporting quarterly or providing the data investors crave just because the government gives them permission to go dark.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
A reputable provider will limit the speed hit as much as possible but will never eliminate it altogether.
From Salon • Mar. 11, 2026
“More reputable sources claim I used a piece of bar-iron from a nearby table.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
