de rigueur

adjective

də-(ˌ)rē-ˈgər How to pronounce de rigueur (audio)
Definition of de rigueurnext
as in polite
following the established traditions of refined society and good taste though he was wearing a dinner jacket and a black bow tie, his jeans and tennis shoes were hardly de rigueur

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of de rigueur Indeed, as travelers today continue to seek out exclusive access—particularly at sporting events such as the Masters, the US Open, and Formula 1—getting up close to the athletes and gear is becoming de rigueur. — Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 6 May 2026 Communal bathing is de rigueur here, as is stripping off, showering, and stepping into the steamy waters. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026 Its lineup leans toward such flavors as asiago cheese, everything, cheddar jalapeño and apple cinnamon, alongside plain, onion and other de rigueur staples. — Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026 Million-dollar price tags are de rigueur. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for de rigueur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for de rigueur
  1. polite
  2. acceptable
  3. respectable
  4. nice
  5. proper
  6. satisfactory
  7. correct
Adjective
  • The thankful and polite, yet rowdy Post Malone was preceded onstage Wednesday by first opening artist Carter Faith and part-coheadliner, part-opener Jelly Roll .
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026
  • The service The staff are polite and attentive, and will provide thoughtful touches, such as leaving birthday cakes for guests.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 July 2026
Definition of polite
Adjective
  • In the 1990s, Tom Ford, during his tenure at Gucci, made the buttocks the center of attention with the help of a visibly flashing thong, while the Y2K trends of the ’00s targeted the midsection and declared crop tops socially acceptable.
    — Kelly Niesen, Glamour, 24 July 2026
  • Teen takeovers showcase teens’ extraordinary abilities to identify collective problems and to enact creative solutions – whether or not these solutions are acceptable to adults in power.
    — Krista Mehari, The Conversation, 23 July 2026
Definition of acceptable
Adjective
  • Asking the people with the least protection to spend the most courage is the most respectable alibi available to anyone with a title.
    — Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 18 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
Definition of respectable
Adjective
  • Ferran Torres, who hadn’t scored all tournament, getting the winner in the final from an assist by Nico Williams, who had fitness issues throughout, was a nice subplot.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • The sliding rear window is a nice touch and harks back to the latest Toyota 4Runner, a vehicle the R2 will be cross-shopped against.
    — Greg Migliore, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of nice
Adjective
  • For the vast majority of healthy people, Voy says good daily brushing habits, proper toothbrush storage and replacing your toothbrush every few months are all that's needed to keep your mouth and body healthy and your smile bright.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 20 July 2026
  • Twenty years might be asking a little much of any piece of tech, but two to five years is a reasonable track record for a robot vacuum, and five to 10 years isn’t out of the question with proper care and parts replacement.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 20 July 2026
Definition of proper
Adjective
  • Even a successful ground invasion would not guarantee a satisfactory outcome unless political leaders had a credible plan for the post-invasion governance and order.
    — David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • IQAir expects the air quality index (AQI) to improve throughout the day Monday, even reaching the green level that is considered satisfactory.
    — Mike Stunson, USA Today, 20 July 2026
Definition of satisfactory
Adjective
  • The bartender opened his Baseball Almanac to check Sullivan’s work; every digit was correct.
    — Mac Engel July 24, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026
  • If the early temperature reading is correct, and the buzz holds, the film enters the fall corridor as the one everybody else has to beat.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 23 July 2026
Definition of correct

Browse Nearby Words

deriding
de rigueur
derision
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“De rigueur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/de%20rigueur. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All