Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Deserving or winning honor and respect.
  • adjective Bringing distinction or recognition.
  • adjective Possessing and characterized by honor.
  • adjective Consistent with honor or good name.
  • adjective Distinguished; illustrious.
  • adjective Attended by marks of recognition and honor.
  • adjective Used as a title of respect for certain high government officials.
  • adjective Used as a courtesy title for the children of barons and viscounts and the younger sons of earls.
  • adjective Used in the House of Commons as a title of respect when speaking of another member.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Worthy of being honored; entitled to deference or respect on account of character or rank; eminent; illustrious.
  • Actuated by principles of honor or a scrupulous regard to rectitude or reputation; acting justly or in good faith.
  • Conferring or suitable for honor or distinction; creditable; reputable.
  • Consistent with or conformable to honor or reputation; honest; sincere; marked by probity or good faith: as, honorable intentions or motives; an honorable character.
  • Held in honor; worthy of respect; free from shame or disgrace; respectable: as, honorable poverty.
  • Performed or accompanied with marks of honor or with testimonials of esteem: as, an honorable burial.
  • Of respectable quality or amount; adequate to requirement; sufficient: as, an honorable salary.
  • An epithet put before a person's name as a conventional title of respect or distinction.
  • Synonyms Honorary, Honorable. See honorary.
  • Just, upright, conscientious, high-minded, magnanimous. See comparison under honesty.
  • noun An honored or distinguished person.
  • noun One who bears the formal or official title of honorable.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Worthy of honor; fit to be esteemed or regarded; estimable; illustrious.
  • adjective High-minded; actuated by principles of honor, or a scrupulous regard to probity, rectitude, or reputation.
  • adjective Proceeding from an upright and laudable cause, or directed to a just and proper end; not base; irreproachable; fair.
  • adjective Conferring honor, or produced by noble deeds.
  • adjective Worthy of respect; regarded with esteem; to be commended; consistent with honor or rectitude.
  • adjective Performed or accompanied with marks of honor, or with testimonies of esteem.
  • adjective Of reputable association or use; respectable.
  • adjective An epithet of respect or distinction
  • adjective See under Right.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Worthy of respect; respectable.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective deserving of esteem and respect
  • adjective adhering to ethical and moral principles
  • adjective not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent
  • adjective worthy of being honored; entitled to honor and respect

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From the Old French honorable, honurable, from the Latin honōrābilis, from honōrō ("I honour"); cognate with Italian onorabile, Spanish honorable.

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Examples

  • This satisfied him; and after once more exacting from Finigan a pledge of what he termed honorable confidence, he took his departure.

    The Emigrants Of Ahadarra The Works of William Carleton, Volume Two William Carleton 1831

  • Dave, as a senior editor for a major American hunting and shooting magazine you have the opportunity to set a proper example with your experience and thinking scope cuts are "honorable" is unprofessional (which is what you are supposed to be-like it or not.)

    The Rifleman's Badge of Honor 2008

  • I would have been a lot happier if the Na'avi had been a little less unwordly, a little less driven by pure emotion, a little more civilized, but James Cameron was in honorable company with that one, even if (in my opinion) we should have outgrown Jean Jacques Rousseau's philosophy of the Noble Savage by now, let alone by whatever century this movie is set in.

    Avatar deliasherman 2010

  • Of course, Obama did end up giving the troops to McChrystal, who did not resign in honorable and Krauthammer-vindicating protest but rather stayed on until such time as he was forced to resign after having made no fundamental progress with the troops he'd ordered and after having also undermined the civilian leadership in front ofauthor and journalist Michael Hastings.

    Barrett Brown: Krauthammer Makes New Prediction Regarding Failed Old Prediction Barrett Brown 2010

  • As for "honorable hunting" I completely agree and feel that the decline in "honorable hunting" is associated with the increase in blood-thirsty trophy hunting and all-around thrill-seeking we see in many you-tube hunting and shooting videos.

    On Trophy Deer And Honorable Hunting 2009

  • Of course, Obama did end up giving the troops to McChrystal, who did not resign in honorable and Krauthammer-vindicating protest but rather stayed on until such time as he was forced to resign after having made no fundamental progress with the troops he'd ordered and after having also undermined the civilian leadership in front ofauthor and journalist Michael Hastings.

    Barrett Brown: Krauthammer Makes New Prediction Regarding Failed Old Prediction Barrett Brown 2010

  • I would have been a lot happier if the Na'avi had been a little less unwordly, a little less driven by pure emotion, a little more civilized, but James Cameron was in honorable company with that one, even if (in my opinion) we should have outgrown Jean Jacques Rousseau's philosophy of the Noble Savage by now, let alone by whatever century this movie is set in.

    Avatar deliasherman 2010

  • As for "honorable hunting" I completely agree and feel that the decline in "honorable hunting" is associated with the increase in blood-thirsty trophy hunting and all-around thrill-seeking we see in many you-tube hunting and shooting videos.

    On Trophy Deer And Honorable Hunting 2009

  • I look forward to a day when honorable is once again an appropriate term for our country's administrative officers.

    Report: FBI did not participate in harsh interrogations techniques 2008

  • Mumia helps us know how deeply and devoutly we are wanted; how sharply and lovingly we are seen; how honorable is our much maligned name.

    We Are In This Place For A Reason Alice Walker Blog Administrator 2008

Comments

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  • hoNOraBLE

    April 22, 2008