noble

1 of 2

adjective

no·​ble ˈnō-bəl 

nobler ˈnō-b(ə-)lər  ; noblest ˈnō-b(ə-)ləst 

1

a

of a person : possessing outstanding qualities (as of dignity or decency)

Miss Birdseye gave a little ineffectual sigh. "Well, I suppose every one must act out their ideal. That's what Olive Chancellor does. She's a very noble character."

—Henry James

b

: possessing, characterized by, arising from, or indicating superiority of mind or character or of ideals or morals : lofty

a noble pursuit/cause

… the idea of writing as a noble profession.

—Joel Agee

… the satisfaction of being faithful to a noble ideal.

—Jack London

2

: of high birth or exalted rank : aristocratic

noble families

… some of them were of noble family …

—Charlotte Brontë

3

a

: possessing very high or excellent qualities or properties

a noble wine

b

: very good or excellent

See that there be a noble supper provided …

—R. B. Sheridan

4

: grand or impressive especially in appearance

a noble edifice

At the farther end, a wooden barricade had been laid across the entrance, and beyond it I saw a court enclosed in noble architecture.

—Edith Wharton

5

chemistry : chemically inert or inactive especially toward oxygen

a noble metal such as platinum

compare base entry 3 sense 2a

nobleness

ˈnō-bəl-nəs 

noun

nobly

ˈnō-blē 

 also  -bə-lē

adverb

noble

2 of 2

noun

1

: a person of noble rank or birth

Below them were the village leaders who pledged their allegiance to the nobles and the king.

—Helen Wieman Bledsoe

2

: an old English gold coin equivalent to 6 shillings and 8 pence

Synonyms of noble

Adjective

• aristocratic

Noun

• aristocrat

Choose the Right Synonym for noble

moral, ethical, virtuous, righteous, noble mean conforming to a standard of what is right and good.

moral implies conformity to established sanctioned codes or accepted notions of right and wrong.

the basic moral values of a community

ethical may suggest the involvement of more difficult or subtle questions of rightness, fairness, or equity.

committed to the highest ethical principles

virtuous implies moral excellence in character.

not a religious person, but virtuous nevertheless

righteous stresses guiltlessness or blamelessness and often suggests the sanctimonious.

wished to be righteous before God and the world

noble implies moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean, or dubious in conduct and character.

had the noblest of reasons for seeking office

Examples of noble in a Sentence

Adjective

He was a man of noble character.

It was noble of her to come forward with this information.

Noun

an elite school for children of nobles

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Thankfully, the Rockefeller tree will serve a noble purpose long after the holiday season is over. —Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2025

The noble notion of authorship itself. —Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025

Noun

The Rats live fast and without fear, stealing from tax collectors and nobles. —Jp Mangalindan, Time, 30 Oct. 2025

Caesar is a conspiracy of nobles; the removal of hundreds of (alleged) Venezuelan gang members is the action of ICE. —JSTOR Daily, 23 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin nobilis well-known, noble, from noscere to come to know — more at know

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing noble

• noble gas
• noble rot
• noble savage

Rhymes for noble

• coble
• dobell
• global
• lobel
• sobol
• ennoble
• ignoble
• immobile

Kids Definition

noble

1 of 2 adjective

no·​ble ˈnō-bəl 

nobler -b(ə-)lər  ; noblest -b(ə-)ləst 

1

: famous, notable

noble deed

2

: of high birth or rank : aristocratic

3

: possessing very high qualities : excellent

4

: grand especially in appearance : imposing

a noble cathedral

5

: having or characterized by superiority of mind or character : magnanimous

a noble nature

6

: chemically inactive especially toward oxygen

noble metal

nobleness

-bəl-nəs 

noun

nobly

-blē 

adverb

noble

2 of 2 noun

: a person of noble rank or birth