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.
On Sunday evening, a respectable crowd showed up in the Mojave Tent to pay their respects to the Godfather of Punk, who first played Coachella in a reunion with the Stooges in 2003.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
The move is risky, and it will be quarrelsome — especially for those who still see Zendaya as an idyllic Disney star, despite her respectable penchant for complicated characters.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
Citigroup, a global banking behemoth, posted a respectable 52% gain over the past year and trades 12% below its most recent 52-week high.
From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026
"This is a job that is more difficult than it looks. Claudia, despite her self-mockery and nerves, put in a respectable first shift," she wrote.
From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026
I hadn’t wanted to invite her, afraid she’d somehow find fault—tell Ma that the movies weren’t respectable or something like that.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
