honorary

adjective

hon·​or·​ary ˈä-nə-ˌrer-ē How to pronounce honorary (audio)
1
a
: having or conferring distinction
an honorary engineering society
b
: commemorative
an honorary plaque
2
: dependent on honor or a keen sense of ethical conduct for fulfillment
an honorary obligation
3
a
: conferred or elected in recognition of achievement or service without the usual prerequisites or obligations
an honorary degree
an honorary member
b
: unpaid, voluntary
an honorary chairman
honorarily adverb
honorary noun

Examples of honorary in a Sentence

He was awarded an honorary degree. He's an honorary member of the club. He is the honorary president of the commission.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The honorary Academy Awards — if AMPAS is paying attention to Scott Feinberg’s massive Hollywood Reporter list of 100 worthy contenders — could award folks like Mike Leigh, Glenn Close, Jack Fisk, Werner Herzog, Harrison Ford, Isabelle Huppert, Eddie Murphy, or many more. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 13 June 2025 The summer ball scheduled for July 6 at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, already buzzy thanks to having filmmaker Sofia Coppola as its artistic director, has also assembled an honorary committee stacked with glittering names. Miles Socha, Footwear News, 12 June 2025 The American filmmaker will be presented with the honorary leopard on Friday, August 15. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 June 2025 Johnson has been previously pressed by reporters and colleagues about the delay in hanging the plaque, but has remained silent on a timeline for hanging the honorary marker. Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 12 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for honorary

Word History

Etymology

Latin honorarius, from honor

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of honorary was in 1606

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Honorary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honorary. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

honorary

adjective
hon·​or·​ary ˈän-ə-ˌrer-ē How to pronounce honorary (audio)
1
: given or done as a sign of honor
an honorary degree
2
: voluntary entry 1 sense 1, unpaid
honorary president
honorarily adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on honorary

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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