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honorable

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adjective hon·or·able \ˈä-nər-(ə-)bəl, ˈän-rə-\

Definition of honorable

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

  2. 2a :  of great renown :  illustrious the college's long and honorable historyb :  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. 3 :  performed or accompanied with marks of honor or respect

  4. 4a :  attesting to creditable conduct honorable woundsb :  consistent with a reputation that is not tarnished or sullied an honorable withdrawal received an honorable discharge from the army

  5. 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

honorability

play \ˌän-rə-ˈbi-lə-tē, ˌä-nə-\ noun

honorableness

play \ˈän-rə-bəl-nəs, ˈä-nə-\ noun

honorably

play \ˈän-rə-blē, ˈä-nə-\ adverb

See honorable defined for English-language learners

See honorable defined for kids

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Examples of honorable in a sentence

  1. The college has a long and honorable history.

  2. It is not honorable of you to behave like that.

  3. They are trying to find an honorable way out of this dispute.

  4. He assured her that his intentions were honorable.

  5. He received an honorable discharge from the army.

Origin and Etymology of honorable

see 1honor


First Known Use: 14th century

honorable Synonyms

Synonyms
decent, ethical, honest, just, noble, principled, respectable, righteous, stand-up, upright, upstanding
Antonyms
base, dishonest, dishonorable, ignoble, low, unethical, unjust, unprincipled, unrighteous, unworthy
Related Words
blameless, guiltless, irreproachable, unassailable, unimpeachable; chivalrous, classy, high-minded, menschy, right-minded; conscientious, fair, good, incorruptible, moral, reputable, respected, scrupulous, uncorrupted, virtuous; decorous, nice, polite, proper, seemly
Near Antonyms
bad, blackguardly, corrupt, criminal, crooked, evil, immoral, iniquitous, knavish, mean, nefarious, rascally, reprehensible, roguish, rotten, scoundrelly, sinful; unfair, unscrupulous, vile, villainous, wicked, wretched; blamable, blameworthy, censurable, culpable; debased, debauched, decadent, degenerate, degraded, demoralized, depraved, disgraceful, disreputable, dissipated, dissolute, libertine, loose, perverse, perverted, profligate, reprobate, shameful, venal

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 hon·or·able \ˈä-nər-(ə-)bəl, ˈän-rə-\

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. 1 :  bringing about or deserving honor It's an honorable achievement.

  2. 2 :  observing ideas of honor or reputation They're seeking an honorable peace.

  3. 3 :  having high moral standards of behavior :  ethical, upright She is too honorable to stoop to cheating.

honorably

\-blē\ adverb

Law Dictionary

honorable

adjective hon·or·able

Legal Definition of honorable

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

Learn More about honorable

  1. 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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