honorary

adjective hon·or·ary \ ˈä-nə-ˌrer-ē \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of honorary

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

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honorarily

play \ˌä-nə-ˈrer-ə-lē\ adverb

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honorary

noun

See honorary defined for English-language learners

See honorary defined for kids

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 of honorary from the Web

Kevin Hart was all laughs and hugs with Heat veteran Udonis Haslem before the game, both from his sideline seat and at mid-court in an honorary meeting before the game.

— dave hyde, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Heat's Dwyane Wade with parting shot: 'You can thank Kevin Hart'," 17 Apr. 2018
Smith College awarded Barbara Bush with an honorary degree in 1989.

— richard wolf, USA TODAY, "Former first lady Barbara Bush, wife and mother of presidents, declines medical treatment," 15 Apr. 2018
Photo: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston The final gallery adds an American touch, with portraits of Asante royalty and honorary Akan royalty living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area—among them the local Asante chief and queen mother.

— susan delson, WSJ, "In Dallas, the Golden Legacy of Ghana," 12 Apr. 2018
Marin, now an honorary Art Car Ambassador to the World, will make an appearance in the parade, according to event organizers.

— craig hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "Cheech Marin is coming back to the Bayou City for this weekend's Houston Art Car Parade," 10 Apr. 2018
The university also will honor Andre and Julia Lacy by presenting posthumous honorary degrees in their memory.

— david lindquist, Indianapolis Star, "New York Times columnist David Brooks will speak at Butler commencement," 6 Apr. 2018
Tatum will make her remarks and receive an honorary doctorate during the College of Liberal Arts commencement ceremony on May 23 at 3 p.m.

— christina tkacik, baltimoresun.com, "Towson announces author Beverly Daniel Tatum as commencement speaker," 5 Apr. 2018
Kimball, who was presented with an honorary Pistons jersey Wednesday, along with delivering the game ball to officials at halfcourt, is no stranger to the Detroit area.

— chris nelsen, Detroit Free Press, "IndyCar driver Charlie Kimball promotes Detroit Grand Prix at LCA," 4 Apr. 2018
Jesuit named him an Alumnus of the Year, and Loyola Law School awarded him an honorary doctorate.

— john pope, NOLA.com, "Tom Casey, a 'Young Turk' in the Louisiana Legislature, dies at 86," 3 Apr. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of honorary

Latin honorarius, from honor

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1606

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

honorary Synonyms

Synonyms

commemorating, commemorative, memorial, memorializing;

Related Words

dedicatory, testimonial;

canonizing, enshrining, exalting, glorifying;

HONORARY Defined for English Language Learners

honorary

adjective

Definition of honorary for English Language Learners

: given as a sign of honor or achievement
: regarded as one of a group although not officially elected or included
: holding a position for which no payment is given : not paid

HONORARY Defined for Kids

honorary

adjective hon·or·ary \ ˈä-nə-ˌrer-ē \

Definition of honorary for Students

: given or done as an honor

They made him an honorary member of the club.

Learn More about honorary

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

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honorary

Definition of honorary

honorarily

honorary

Examples of honorary in a Sentence

Recent Examples of honorary from the Web

Origin and Etymology of honorary

honorary Synonyms

Synonyms

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HONORARY Defined for English Language Learners

honorary

Definition of honorary for English Language Learners

HONORARY Defined for Kids

honorary

Definition of honorary for Students

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