honorable

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 officialsthe 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

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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 Before he could be sent to combat duty, a bout with amoebic dysentery led to an honorable discharge in 1944. — Washington Post, "Kirk Douglas, whose masculine energy powered scores of film roles, dies at 103," 6 Feb. 2020 But because the Jews, like the Palestinians, have legitimate claims, peace with Israel can be based on an honorable compromise. — WSJ, "Notable & Quotable: Max Singer on Truth and Mideast Peace," 31 Jan. 2020 But for all their wander-in-the-woods, honorable goodness, restaurants and bars here are far from precious. — Washington Post, "Fresh, local and unpretentious: A Swedish city with a stirring culinary scene," 31 Jan. 2020 Can't argue with making the honorable choice, but that doesn't make the goodbye any easier. — Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, "Saying goodbye to 'The Good Place,' which reminded us that there's still good in the world," 23 Jan. 2020 Mike's defiance of his limitations doesn't scan as strictly honorable. — Jesse Hassenger, TheWeek, "The not-so-parallel careers of Robert Downey Jr. and Will Smith," 17 Jan. 2020 By leading the fight against Bork—and thereby forcing President Ronald Reagan to pick a more moderate nominee, who ended up being Kennedy—Biden can claim a major and honorable legacy on the Court. — Jeffrey Toobin, The New Yorker, "The Democratic Presidential Candidates Need to Start Talking About the Supreme Court," 14 Jan. 2020 Children and grandchildren need to see public and community service as honorable and worthwhile, and a responsibility of each person to give back in some way. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Committed to building community in Carlsbad," 6 Oct. 2019 That's a step down from a traditional honorable discharge, indicating unacceptable conduct not in accord with military standards. — CBS News, "Two National Guardsmen kicked out after white nationalist ties alleged," 27 Dec. 2019

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.