admirable

adjective

ad·​mi·​ra·​ble ˈad-m(ə-)rə-bəl How to pronounce admirable (audio)
1
: deserving the highest esteem : excellent
an admirable achievement
2
obsolete : exciting wonder : surprising
admirability noun
admirableness noun
admirably adverb

Examples of admirable in a Sentence

Loyalty was her most admirable quality. it's admirable the way she helps her elderly neighbor with chores and errands every Saturday
Recent Examples on the Web These countries are troubled but mostly admirable democracies that play critical roles in raging competitions. Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 President Biden's commitment to fighting cancer through his Cancer Moonshot is admirable. Sally Pipes, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 Any number of fairly admirable, fairly likely motivations could then be reasonably projected onto Curry. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2024 To disapprove of an otherwise admirable person because of the behavior of his dog is unjustified. Haben Kelati, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024 Those were admirable goals, but those exact problems remain. Dan Carney, Popular Science, 1 Feb. 2024 While some understand the word as referring to an admirable person who is at the center of many inspiring stories, Swin Cash just may be in a league—no pun intended—of her own. Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 7 Feb. 2024 Of the American attempts, Gareth Edwards’s 2014 Godzilla came closest by emphasizing the scale of the creature, shrouding him in darkness and doling out his terrible roar with admirable restraint. David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2024 Having the willingness to do it is an admirable trait, but that would lead him to a sort of death. Emily Blackwood, Peoplemag, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'admirable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English admyrable, borrowed from Anglo-French admirable, borrowed from Latin admīrābilis, from admīrārī "to admire" + -bilis "capable (of acting or being acted upon)" — more at -able

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of admirable was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near admirable

Cite this Entry

“Admirable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/admirable. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

admirable

adjective
ad·​mi·​ra·​ble ˌad-mə-rə-bəl How to pronounce admirable (audio)
-mrə-bəl
: deserving to be admired : excellent
admirableness noun
admirably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on admirable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!