respectable

[ri-spek-tuh-buh l]

See more synonyms for respectable on Thesaurus.com

adjective

worthy of respect or esteem; estimable; worthy: a respectable citizen.
of good social standing, reputation, etc.: a respectable neighborhood.
suitable or good enough to be seen or used: respectable clothes; respectable language.

of moderate excellence; fairly good; fair: a respectable performance.
appreciable in size, number, or amount: a respectable turnout.

Origin of respectable

First recorded in 1580–90; respect + -able

Related formsre·spect·a·ble·ness, nounre·spect·a·bly, adverbnon·re·spect·a·ble, adjectivenon·re·spect·a·ble·ness, nounnon·re·spect·a·bly, adverbpre·re·spect·a·ble, adjectivequa·si-re·spect·a·ble, adjectivequa·si-re·spect·a·bly, adverbsem·i·re·spect·a·ble, adjectivesu·per·re·spect·a·ble, adjectivesu·per·re·spect·a·ble·ness, nounsu·per·re·spect·a·bly, adverbul·tra·re·spect·a·ble, adjectiveul·tra·re·spect·a·bly, adverbul·tra·re·spect·a·ble·ness, nounun·re·spect·a·ble, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for respectable on Thesaurus.com

1. honorable. 4. middling, passable.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for respectable

Contemporary Examples

Again, the reasoning sounds, well, reasonable, and is sourced to a respectable organization, the Samaritans.
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism
Arthur Chu
January 3, 2015
Quotes like these suggest myriad reasons for respectable mainstream culture to write off Coffman as one more failed American.
The FBI’s Bogus ISIS Bust
James Poulos
November 21, 2014
In the respectable guise of religious liberty, the zombie-like Culture War soldiers on.
RFRA Madness: What’s Next for Anti-Democratic ‘Religious Exemptions’
Jay Michaelson
November 16, 2014
Despite performing in a respectable amount of sketches for a SNL freshman throughout the season, her contract was not renewed.
The Casual Genius of Jenny Slate: ‘Marcel the Shell,’ ‘Obvious Child,’ and the Ghost of ‘SNL’
Kevin Fallon
October 17, 2014
For decades, this served as a respectable front for the biggest fencing operation in the history of the country.
Meet 'The Queen of Thieves' Marm Mandelbaum, New York City's First Mob Boss
J. North Conway
September 7, 2014

Historical Examples

This was a cousin of Miss Moreton's, a respectable clergyman.
Tales And Novels, Volume 3 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
One of these days the respectable Republic will find this out.
American Notes
Rudyard Kipling
This inn was kept by two respectable ladies, who were sisters.
Welsh Fairy Tales
William Elliott Griffis
She knew that in that quarter everyone is not respectable, but everyone is kind.
The Incomplete Amorist
E. Nesbit
She smoked cigarettes, and he could not think that this would have been respectable in any other woman.
The Incomplete Amorist
E. Nesbit

British Dictionary definitions for respectable

respectable

adjective

having or deserving the respect of other people; estimable; worthy
having good social standing or reputation
having socially or conventionally acceptable morals, standards, etca respectable woman
relatively or fairly good; considerablea respectable salary
fit to be seen by other people; presentable

Derived Formsrespectability or rare respectableness, nounrespectably, 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

Word Origin and History for respectable

adj.

"worthy of esteem," 1580s; see respect (v.) + -able. Sense of "having an honest reputation" is from 1755. That of "occupying a fairly good position in society" is c.1800. Related: Respectably.

respectable

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}respectable

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for respectable

Contemporary Examples

Again, the reasoning sounds, well, reasonable, and is sourced to a respectable organization, the Samaritans.

Quotes like these suggest myriad reasons for respectable mainstream culture to write off Coffman as one more failed American.

In the respectable guise of religious liberty, the zombie-like Culture War soldiers on.

Despite performing in a respectable amount of sketches for a SNL freshman throughout the season, her contract was not renewed.

For decades, this served as a respectable front for the biggest fencing operation in the history of the country.

Historical Examples

This was a cousin of Miss Moreton's, a respectable clergyman.

One of these days the respectable Republic will find this out.

This inn was kept by two respectable ladies, who were sisters.

She knew that in that quarter everyone is not respectable, but everyone is kind.

She smoked cigarettes, and he could not think that this would have been respectable in any other woman.

respectable

Word Origin and History for respectable

adj.

Origin of respectable