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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 My parents worked honorable blue-collar jobs and built a life for my siblings and me. Sonam Sheth gabe Whisnant billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025 Thankfully, Trachtenberg’s portrait of Indigenous North Americans is free of the ugly stereotypes that would have been rampant in the 1987 original, and the film even sneaks in some honorable observations about colonization. Will Leitch, Vulture, 9 June 2025 The comparison with Lexus is honorable but not accurate. Josh Max, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025 We were honored because our parents were honorable. Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for honorable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honorable
Adjective
  • The people of Maryland deserve an honest conversation — not one driven by fear or false urgency.
    Joanne Frederick, Baltimore Sun, 23 June 2025
  • My advice is to conduct an honest assessment of your team's capabilities relative to migration requirements.
    AJ Bubb, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Invest in educator training that moves beyond basic tool familiarity to pedagogical integration and ethical considerations.
    Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • Such governance will likely include public data trusts, ethical review boards, and inclusive policy-making processes—all of which emphasize collective rather than individualistic solutions.
    Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • There’s a moral sleight of hand in this business — a way of justifying detachment as professionalism.
    Rob Shuter, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
  • In these fields, reliability is a moral and operational imperative.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • And the noble cause that unites us requires no less.
    The Editors, National Review, 24 June 2025
  • The instinct behind this trend—to broaden one’s circle of concern—was noble.
    David Litt, Time, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • Nevertheless, nice to get an explanation for why Vondrousova has been invisible.
    James Hansen, New York Times, 21 June 2025
  • From my perspective, this is a nice example of Cisco’s growing emphasis on easing the customer/user experience.
    Patrick Moorhead, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • Mowery recently launched Azure Road, a new culinary, travel, and lifestyle publication for conscientious consumers.
    Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
  • For each of us, conscientious use of this planet’s resources will need to be a lifelong endeavor.
    Andre Garron, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2025
Adjective
  • The resulting narrative portrayed the workers as respectable, sober, disciplined homeowners and family men, while the Pinkertons became an external, extralegal threat.
    Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 15 June 2025
  • Even turnovers — Game 3 aside — have been a plus, with a very respectable 11.9 percent rate for the series.
    John Hollinger, New York Times, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • Beyond all of the twists and many, many, many turns that kept viewers tuned in every Tuesday night, the core of the show was about true female friendship and the loyalty that comes with that, no matter what.
    Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 20 June 2025
  • This milieu is both true to history and solves one of the series’ longstanding structural flaws.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 20 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Honorable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honorable. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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