as in morality
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Recent Examples of respectability
Previously, the ninety-six-year-old German had mapped out his country’s road back to respectability after 1945.
—
Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Then, as Vrabel worked from his opening press conference, taking the Patriots by the hand through the early stages of a rebuild and the first few weeks of the regular season, a funny thing happened on the road back to respectability.
—Andrew Callahan, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
Earning respect Coach and son, a 5-foot-10 guard, have led the Eagles back to respectability.
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Jan. 2026
And Hefner was expansive, social, forthright—a national institution—not to mention a very likable guy, and as close to middle-class respectability as a person who wore pajamas instead of clothes and regularly participated in orgies could be.
—Lili Anolik, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
So, irrespective of recent improvements, January clearly needs to be used as stage one of a wider rebuild to help the club salvage a modicum of respectability and, more importantly, challenge to return from the Championship next season.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
That will always trump respectability politics, which often focus on external actions instead of intrinsic values.
—Essence, 5 Jan. 2026
Keith Van Horn Van Horn played a key role in pushing the Nets toward respectability in the early 2000s, giving them a versatile forward who could score from all three levels and carry stretches of the offense.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 5 Jan. 2026
Thankfully, that doesn’t turn into respectability politics—just a stomp-out of bullies and fake friends the Atlanta way.
—Pitchfork, 10 Dec. 2025
Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Then, as Vrabel worked from his opening press conference, taking the Patriots by the hand through the early stages of a rebuild and the first few weeks of the regular season, a funny thing happened on the road back to respectability.
—Andrew Callahan, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
Earning respect Coach and son, a 5-foot-10 guard, have led the Eagles back to respectability.
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Jan. 2026
And Hefner was expansive, social, forthright—a national institution—not to mention a very likable guy, and as close to middle-class respectability as a person who wore pajamas instead of clothes and regularly participated in orgies could be.
—Lili Anolik, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
So, irrespective of recent improvements, January clearly needs to be used as stage one of a wider rebuild to help the club salvage a modicum of respectability and, more importantly, challenge to return from the Championship next season.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
That will always trump respectability politics, which often focus on external actions instead of intrinsic values.
—Essence, 5 Jan. 2026
Keith Van Horn Van Horn played a key role in pushing the Nets toward respectability in the early 2000s, giving them a versatile forward who could score from all three levels and carry stretches of the offense.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 5 Jan. 2026
Thankfully, that doesn’t turn into respectability politics—just a stomp-out of bullies and fake friends the Atlanta way.
—Pitchfork, 10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for respectability
Noun
-
In 2022, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, was killed in custody after being arrested by the morality police for improperly wearing her hijab.—
Agustina Vergara Cid,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
-
During the 2022-23 Woman, Life, Freedom protests, sparked by the death of the young Iranian woman Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police, Pahlavi called for rallies against the Iranian government in the United States, Canada and other countries.—
Eric Lob,
The Conversation,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In recent weeks, Trump has again revealed himself to be a stain on basic decency and humanity, demonstrating a depraved indifference to suffering and a laser-like focus on gold and glory.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
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But Minnesota will remain an island of decency, of justice, of community, and of peace.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Other camellia species were noted and grown for their flowers gracing gardens of temples and nobility.—
Dawn Pettinelli,
Hartford Courant,
18 Jan. 2026
-
The encounter amounts to a philosophical definition of nobility as something that owes nothing to titles or traditions.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Maybe Albro would raise concerns that the police weren’t doing enough to protect young women’s virtues, or Matthews would criticize the lack of a similar dragnet to find the killer of Mary Tate.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
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The author’s work makes an excellent case that literature can explore virtue—even if his latest novel reveals its pitfalls.—
Julius Taranto,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Next, when merit is unearned, inclusion advocates can balance considerations of merit and fairness.—
Kenji Yoshino,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
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Now, the City Council has passed the GUARD Act, creating an Office of Algorithmic Data Accountability to oversee fairness and transparency in city agencies’ AI tools.—
AJ Dhaliwal,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
While critics say these changes are merely cosmetic, many ordinary Bangladeshis have been sold on the veneer of incorruptibility that comes from a theological under-pinning.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For example, individuals high in conscientiousness are more likely to practice systematically and follow feedback, which accelerates the development of technical, academic, or professional skills.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
4 Jan. 2026
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And from an intangible standpoint, the team loves his diligence and conscientiousness.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Floyd’s murder would inspire the largest racial justice collective actions in the United States since probably the civil rights movement.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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Officials in Minnesota, along with criminal justice experts and former federal prosecutors, are increasingly critical of the federal response to the aggressive tactics being used by immigration officers in Minneapolis and the surrounding area.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Respectability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/respectability. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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