honorable

adjective

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hon·or·able | \ ˈä-nər-(ə-)bəl

, ˈän-rə- \

Definition of honorable

1 : deserving of respect or high regard : deserving of honor an honorable profession

2a : 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 Smiththe Honorable Senator from California

3 : performed or accompanied with marks of honor or respect

4a : 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 man— William Shakespeare assured her that his intentions were honorable

Other Words from honorable Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about honorable

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Other Words from honorable

honorability \ ˌän-rə-ˈbi-lə-tē

, ˌä-nə- \ noun

honorableness \ ˈän-rə-bəl-nəs

, ˈä-nə- \ noun

honorably \ ˈän-rə-blē

, 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 One of our Capitol officers who defended us that day was a longtime veteran of our force, a brave and honorable public servant who spent several hours battling the mob as part of one of those blue lines defending the Capitol in our democracy. — New York Times, "Takeaways From Day 2 of Trump’s Impeachment Trial," 10 Feb. 2021 Jaelyn Duncan was an honorable-mention choice voted by both coaches and media. — Edward Lee, baltimoresun.com, "Status of QB Taulia Tagovailoa, three other Terps remains uncertain; Ami Finau disciplined for tackle | NOTES," 15 Dec. 2020 Last season, Lloyd’s team-high 91 tackles and 6.5 sacks yielded an All-Pac-12 honorable-mention selection. — Josh Newman, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Would Utah football opt out of a bowl game? Coach Kyle Whittingham says it’s up to his players.," 14 Dec. 2020 Enayat plans to leave the Navy with a general discharge under honorable conditions per the plea agreement. — Julie Watson, Star Tribune, "US Navy drops charges against SEAL accused of sexual assault," 2 Feb. 2021 Raffensperger is one of the honorable Republicans at the state and local level who have stood up against the President’s efforts to bully them into calling the election for the loser: him. — John Cassidy, The New Yorker, "Trump’s Authoritarian Moment Is Here," 4 Jan. 2021 Primarily, to a devoted, virtuous, honorable, and most estimable father and Christian mother, who reared him in industry and integrity on the farm in the pure surroundings of a typical Maryland home. — Mary Ann Ashcraft, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Carroll Yesteryears: Glimpse at early life of sculptor William Henry Rinehart," 26 Dec. 2020 The twists are often surprising, and the characters make nuanced, and usually honorable, choices. — Alexander Mccall Smith, Star Tribune, "Quarantine Read: Readers recommend 'The Talented Mr. Varg'," 24 Dec. 2020 Only the first, honorable, guarantees the new veteran access to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ full array of benefits. — John Ismay, New York Times, "Army Agrees to Review Thousands of Unfavorable Discharges for Veterans," 19 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'honorable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.