honorary
adjective
hon·or·ary
ˈä-nə-ˌrer-ē 
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
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
The three recipients of the museum’s honorary awards will also be recognized at the event.
—
Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
Amy Meadows, a longtime BMA trustee and now an honorary trustee, spent her career as an art consultant, while Marc Meadows, an art director and graphic designer, is the founder of Meadows Design Office.
—News Desk, Artforum, 28 Oct. 2025
An honorary Padres jersey bore his name, while a letter from former President Joe Biden expressed condolences.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Oct. 2025
His global honors include three honorary doctorates, the IEEE Communications Society Distinguished Industry Leader Award, Silicon Valley Business Journal CTO of the Year, and induction into the IPv6 Hall of Fame, among others.
—Mallik Tatipamula, IEEE Spectrum, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for honorary
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.
Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
Amy Meadows, a longtime BMA trustee and now an honorary trustee, spent her career as an art consultant, while Marc Meadows, an art director and graphic designer, is the founder of Meadows Design Office.
—News Desk, Artforum, 28 Oct. 2025
An honorary Padres jersey bore his name, while a letter from former President Joe Biden expressed condolences.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Oct. 2025
His global honors include three honorary doctorates, the IEEE Communications Society Distinguished Industry Leader Award, Silicon Valley Business Journal CTO of the Year, and induction into the IPv6 Hall of Fame, among others.
—Mallik Tatipamula, IEEE Spectrum, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for honorary
Cite this Entry
“Honorary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honorary. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
honorary
adjective
hon·or·ary
ˈän-ə-ˌrer-ē
1
: given or done as a sign of honor
an honorary degree
2
: voluntary entry 1 sense 1, unpaid
honorary president
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share