Definition of honorablenext
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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective honorable differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of honorable are conscientious, honest, just, scrupulous, and upright. While all these words mean "having or showing a strict regard for what is morally right," honorable suggests a firm holding to codes of right behavior and the guidance of a high sense of honor and duty.

a difficult but honorable decision

How are the words conscientious and scrupulous related as synonyms of honorable?

Both conscientious and scrupulous imply an active moral sense governing all one's actions and painstaking efforts to follow one's conscience.

conscientious in the completion of her assignments
scrupulous in carrying out the terms of the will

In what contexts can honest take the place of honorable?

Although the words honest and honorable have much in common, honest stresses adherence to such virtues as truthfulness, candor, or fairness.

known for being honest in business dealings

When could just be used to replace honorable?

The synonyms just and honorable are sometimes interchangeable, but just stresses conscious choice and regular practice of what is right or equitable.

workers given just compensation

When would upright be a good substitute for honorable?

While the synonyms upright and honorable are close in meaning, upright implies a strict adherence to moral principles.

a stern and upright minister

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 honorable There is something defiant and honorable about owning 100% of my business, given my cultural background. Monique Kelley, PEOPLE, 18 May 2026 Interpreted in this light, silence evolved to signify the very condition of being an honorable man who was capable of maintaining omertà. Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 May 2026 Either way, Netflix respectfully disagrees with the honorable gentleman from the former Republic of Texas, to put it nicely. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 11 May 2026 But retrofitting the Warriors to be viable moving forward makes for an honorable lasting imprint. Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 10 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for honorable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honorable
Adjective
  • Let’s be honest, not everyone loves shorts, and structured, straight or skinny pants are too restricting.
    Gabrielle Porcaro, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026
  • These sound like honest observations.
    Staff Author, Parents, 13 June 2026
Adjective
  • Doudna, who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020 with Emmanuelle Charpentier for this pioneering work, has been a prominent voice not only for its vast potential but also for its responsible and ethical use.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 11 June 2026
  • Some workplace experts argue that with more businesses adopting AI tools, soft skills such as empathy, critical thinking and ethical decision-making are worth cultivating to help employees become indispensable.
    Cathy Bussewitz, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Adjective
  • Suzuki is a young beatnik of Greenwich Village, a moral, sharp-witted kid wanting a place where children can be taken seriously, free to manage their own affairs.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
  • Set during World War II, the drama examines the mechanisms of collaboration under the Vichy regime through the lens of a man whose ambition and moral weakness lead him to become complicit in the persecution and deportation of Jews.
    Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 9 June 2026
Adjective
  • In recent days, young Knicks fans have been made to digest from their dreary Boomer elders heavy doses of old-timey hoops lore, but mainly about the 1970 title series, featuring Willis Reed’s limping, yet noble appearance in Game Seven, his injured leg shot up with painkillers.
    David Remnick, New Yorker, 14 June 2026
  • The work also avoided the use of expensive noble metals, which are commonly used in high-performance catalysts.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026
Adjective
  • After Silseth, though, the Angels’ relievers did a nice job and the hitters executed in the 10th to push home the winner.
    Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 11 June 2026
  • The interior measures 420 sq ft (39 sq m) and is finished in shiplap and drywall, with a tongue-and-groove feature wall and exposed timber beams, which are a nice touch.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 June 2026
Adjective
  • After a two-year National Service stint as a hospital orderly (thanks to his own conscientious-objector status), Hockney landed at the Royal College of Art, in London, in the fall of 1959.
    Mark Rozzo, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
  • Cap Rocat also aims to preserve and strengthen the natural and social environment through a conscientious selection of suppliers engaged in sustainable fishing and organic and zero-kilometer products.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Adjective
  • His respectable rookie numbers may have signaled an upward trajectory, but the fifth-year tight end failed to record more than five catches in a season again until his return to Miami.
    Tyler Carmona June 10, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026
  • Their unsightly displays on special teams and anemic offensive output left them with little to hang their hat on, especially since their respectable goals-against numbers often came at the expense of their attack.
    Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 9 June 2026
Adjective
  • Attleboro managed a two-out walk but Salerno limited any true damage in the top of the eighth.
    Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 10 June 2026
  • Huang pitched herself as the true progressive in the race, saying Raman had drifted too close to the middle during her time on council.
    Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Honorable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honorable. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.

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