respectable

1 of 2

adjective

re·​spect·​able ri-ˈspek-tə-bəl 

1

: worthy of respect : estimable

2

: decent or correct in character or behavior : proper

3

a

: fair in size or quantity

a respectable amount

b

: moderately good : tolerable

a respectable performance

4

: fit to be seen : presentable

respectable clothes

respectability

ri-ˌspek-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

respectableness

ri-ˈspek-tə-bəl-nəs 

noun

respectably

ri-ˈspek-tə-blē 

adverb

respectable

2 of 2

noun

: a respectable person

Synonyms of respectable

Adjective

• respected
• prestigious
• reputable
• reputed
• distinguished
• esteemed
• estimable

Examples of respectable in a Sentence

Adjective

She comes from a very respectable family.

no respectable dietician would advise people to eat just one kind of food

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The battery can accept up to 100kW of DC charging, which is a respectable figure for a plug-in hybrid and faster than some pure-electric cars can manage. — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

That’s a perfectly respectable field, though most of the players are likely unknown to casual sports fans. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026

The outright leader after Round 1, Suber posted a more-than-respectable second day 69. — Justin Ray, New York Times, 17 July 2026

The food was respectable, but most of the guests seemed more concerned with who was sitting next to them than what was on the table. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1770, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for respectable

• collectable
• collectible
• correctable
• delectable
• detectable
• expectable
• injectable
• protectable
• resectable
• selectable
• uncollectible
• undetectable

Kids Definition

respectable

adjective

re·​spect·​able

ri-ˈspek-tə-bəl

1

: worthy of respect : reputable

2

: decent or correct in character or behavior : proper

respectable people

3

: fair in size, quality, or quantity

a respectable amount of money

4

: fit to be seen : presentable

respectable clothes

respectability

-ˌspek-tə-ˈbil-ət-ē

noun

respectableness

-ˈspek-tə-bəl-nəs

noun

respectably

-blē

adverb