honorable

adjective

hon·​or·​able ˈä-nər-(ə-)bəl How to pronounce honorable (audio)
ˈän-rə-
1
: deserving of respect or high regard : deserving of honor
an honorable profession
2
a
: of great renown : illustrious
the college's long and honorable history
b
: entitled to honor or respect
used as a title for the children of certain British noblemen and for various government officials
the Honorable Judge Smith
the Honorable Senator from California
3
: performed or accompanied with marks of honor or respect
4
a
: attesting to creditable conduct
honorable wounds
b
: consistent with a reputation that is not tarnished or sullied
an honorable withdrawal
received an honorable discharge from the army
5
: characterized by integrity : guided by a keen sense of duty and ethical conduct
Brutus is an honorable manWilliam Shakespeare
assured her that his intentions were honorable
honorability noun
honorableness noun
honorably
ˈän-rə-blē How to pronounce honorable (audio)
ˈä-nə-
adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for honorable

upright, honest, just, conscientious, scrupulous, honorable mean having or showing a strict regard for what is morally right.

upright implies a strict adherence to moral principles.

a stern and upright minister

honest stresses adherence to such virtues as truthfulness, candor, or fairness.

known for being honest in business dealings

just stresses conscious choice and regular practice of what is right or equitable.

workers given just compensation

conscientious and scrupulous imply an active moral sense governing all one's actions and painstaking efforts to follow one's conscience.

conscientious in the completion of her assignments
scrupulous in carrying out the terms of the will

honorable suggests a firm holding to codes of right behavior and the guidance of a high sense of honor and duty.

a difficult but honorable decision

Examples of honorable in a Sentence

The college has a long and honorable history. It is not honorable of you to behave like that. They are trying to find an honorable way out of this dispute. He assured her that his intentions were honorable. He received an honorable discharge from the army.
Recent Examples on the Web Many ancient high-ranking military officials and commanders also received honorable burials at Abúsír, but the scribe’s tomb stands out from the rest due to the detailed, snake-deterring spells on its northern wall. Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Nov. 2023 Kuro, a novelist, is more honorable, albeit more enigmatic. Alida Becker, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2024 But a less honorable motive was to stage a debate so it could be hijacked by partisans who tried to play back-stage political games for the sport of it. Dean Minnich, Baltimore Sun, 10 Feb. 2024 What feels like an honorable way to share the bounty? Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2024 The most important priority today is securing the border in the right way, which includes a fair and honorable immigration system. Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2024 Take note and avoid sources who use freedom to tear down with words with no responsibility to build trust with honorable discourse. Dean Minnich, Baltimore Sun, 28 Jan. 2024 Upon trying his hand at acting after an honorable discharge from the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1986, the early years of Eigenberg’s career seemed to meet with more roadblocks than successes. Demetrius Patterson, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Feb. 2024 In many cases, the discharges were other than honorable. Nate Luna, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'honorable.' 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

see honor entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of honorable was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near honorable

Cite this Entry

“Honorable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honorable. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

honorable

adjective
hon·​or·​able ˈän-(ə-)rə-bəl How to pronounce honorable (audio)
ˈän-ər-bəl
1
: deserving of honor
2
used as a title especially for various government officials
3
: performed or accompanied with marks of honor
an honorable burial
4
: doing credit to the possessor
honorable wounds
5
: characterized by honesty : ethical
honorably adverb

Legal Definition

honorable

adjective
hon·​or·​able
: entitled to honor
used as a title for various government officials

More from Merriam-Webster on honorable

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