respectable
Americanadjective
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worthy of respect or esteem; estimable; worthy.
a respectable citizen.
- Synonyms:
- honorable
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of good social standing, reputation, etc..
a respectable neighborhood.
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suitable or good enough to be seen or used.
respectable clothes; respectable language.
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of moderate excellence; fairly good; fair.
a respectable performance.
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appreciable in size, number, or amount.
a respectable turnout.
adjective
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having or deserving the respect of other people; estimable; worthy
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having good social standing or reputation
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having socially or conventionally acceptable morals, standards, etc
a respectable woman
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relatively or fairly good; considerable
a respectable salary
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fit to be seen by other people; presentable
Other Word Forms
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nonrespectableadjective
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nonrespectablenessnoun
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nonrespectablyadverb
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prerespectableadjective
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quasi-respectableadjective
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quasi-respectablyadverb
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respectabilitynoun
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respectablenessnoun
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respectablyadverb
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semirespectableadjective
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superrespectableadjective
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superrespectablenessnoun
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superrespectablyadverb
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ultrarespectableadjective
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ultrarespectablenessnoun
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ultrarespectablyadverb
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unrespectableadjective
Etymology
Origin of respectable
Explanation
Something or someone respectable is honest, good, and proper. Respectable behavior includes things like contributing to charity, volunteering at an animal shelter, and helping your friends study vocabulary. Anything or anyone respectable deserves respect for being honorable or moral. If you return a wallet that you find on the street, that’s respectable behavior. People would probably view you as a respectable person. However, if you removed all the money from the wallet before returning it, that’s not respectable. Respectable can also be used to describe to an adequate or large amount of something. If you return the wallet untouched, you might get a respectable sum as a reward.
Vocabulary lists containing respectable
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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Walk Two Moons
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
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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.
Nvidia has bought back $85 billion in shares in the past two years, and this past month it increased its quarterly dividend from one penny to an almost respectable 25 cents.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
But while he finished a respectable fourth, he needed hospital treatment after fracturing a leg he had previously broken.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
I got a very respectable, but terribly boring day job, because I talked my way into the interview and was like, “Yeah, I can totally do data analytics.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026
I could never drive the ball that far, but at one time, I sported a respectable 6 handicap.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
For decades, black elites engaged in private rescue efforts to make black communities tidy, clean, and respectable in a futile effort to gain white approval.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
