honorable

play

adjective 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

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 man
—William Shakespeare

assured her that his intentions were honorable

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honorability

play \ˌän-rə-ˈbi-lə-tē, ˌä-nə-\ noun

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honorableness

play \ˈän-rə-bəl-nəs, ˈä-nə-\ noun

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honorably

play \ˈän-rə-blē, ˈä-nə-\ adverb

See honorable defined for English-language learners

See honorable defined for kids

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 of honorable from the Web

Souder was named an honorable mention all-Eastern Cincinnati Conference performer this past spring.

— john snodgrass, Cincinnati.com, "Recruiting Trail: A big week for soccer, football," 28 Aug. 2017
Herbert served six years in the Navy, reportedly including a deployment to Iraq, and received an honorable discharge.

— teri figueroa, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Trial ordered for man suspected of dog abuse," 25 Aug. 2017
The French 75 has been an honorable member of the booze-and-bubbly cocktail catalogue since World War I, combining a healthy splash of gin and a healthier pour of Brut champagne.

— esquire editors, Esquire, "How to Make a French 75," 16 Aug. 2017
The Highlanders, named preseason Class 3A honorable mention by the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association, kicked off the 2017 season with a 1-0 win over Columbus East on Monday, ending a two-year scoring drought against the Olympians.

— kyle williams, The Courier-Journal, "Southern Indiana high school soccer preview: Providence tops Class 1A," 15 Aug. 2017
That includes the honorable Ned Stark, who lied to Jon every single day of his life.

— joanna robinson, HWD, "Game of Thrones: 8 Easter Eggs and Callbacks You Might Have Missed in “The Queen’s Justice”," 1 Aug. 2017
Eventually the family did return to Plains, after Jimmy's honorable discharge in from the Navy in October of that year.

— miranda siwak, Good Housekeeping, "Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Have a Love Story for the Ages," 20 July 2017
Austin’s Tanner Craig was also named honorable mention.

— kyle williams, The Courier-Journal, "Southern Indiana standouts named to IHSBCA all-state team," 8 July 2017
Here are some more honorable mentions of things millennials apparently killed in 2016: •

— christine clarridge, The Seattle Times, "10 things millennials have been blamed for," 5 July 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of honorable

see ¹honor

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

honorable Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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

Other Forms of Address Terms

appellation, beatitude, brethren, emeritus, esquire, sire, sous

HONORABLE Defined for English Language Learners

honorable

play

adjective

Definition of honorable for English Language Learners

: deserving honor and respect
: having or showing honesty and good moral character
: fair and proper : not deserving blame or criticism

HONORABLE Defined for Kids

honorable

play

adjective hon·or·able \ ˈä-nə-rə-bəl , ˈän-rə-bəl \

Definition of honorable for Students

1 :bringing about or deserving honor

It's an honorable achievement.

2 :observing ideas of honor or reputation

They're seeking an honorable peace.

3 :having high moral standards of behavior :ethical, upright

She is too honorable to stoop to cheating.

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honorably

\-blē\ adverb

Law Dictionary

honorable

adjective hon·or·able

legal Definition of honorable

:entitled to honor —used as a title for various government officials

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for honorable Spanish Central: Translation of honorable Nglish: Translation of honorable for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of honorable for Arabic speakers

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Examples of honorable in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of honorable

honorable Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Synonym Discussion of honorable

Other Forms of Address Terms

HONORABLE Defined for English Language Learners

honorable

Definition of honorable for English Language Learners

HONORABLE Defined for Kids

honorable

Definition of honorable for Students

honorably

Law Dictionary

honorable

legal Definition of honorable

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