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 Louisville Cardinals had a tough start to their campaign, but a respectable loss actually moved them up in the rankings as opposed to down. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026

Lamar put up a respectable fight, but ultimately, Bowie claimed a 29-23 overtime victory. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Sep. 2026

Parker has been tasked with turning arguably the worst defense in franchise history into one that is at least respectable. — Jon MacHota, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026

After a respectable but not massive viewership for Season 1, the series found itself somewhat on the bubble last year. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 10 Sep. 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