Meaning & use
honorable
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableapproving
Showing good moral values such as honesty and fairness, and so deserving respect.
Grammar: Describes people and their actions: an honorable man; an honorable decision.
Patterns
- an honorable thing to do
- honorable in something
Returning the lost wallet was the honorable thing to do.
He was an honorable man who never broke a promise.
They reached an honorable compromise that left both sides with dignity.
adjectivebefore a noun
Bringing respect or credit, even if it did not win: worthy of recognition.
Grammar: Usually before a noun: honorable mention, honorable discharge.
Patterns
- honorable mention
- honorable discharge
Her essay received an honorable mention in the contest.
The soldier received an honorable discharge after ten years.
The team made an honorable exit from the tournament.
adjectivebefore a nounformal
Used as a title of respect before the names of judges, lawmakers and some other officials.
Grammar: Often written the Honorable, as a form of address.
Patterns
- the Honorable Judge Smith
The court welcomed the Honorable Judge Alvarez.
The letter was addressed to the Honorable Maria Lopez.
The honorable member from Ohio has the floor.
Word forms
| comparative | more honorable |
|---|---|
| superlative | most honorable |
Common combinations
- an honorable man
- He was an honorable man who paid every debt.
- honorable intentions
- He had honorable intentions when he made the offer.
- honorable discharge
- He received an honorable discharge from the navy.
- honorable mention
- Her photo won an honorable mention.
- honorable course
- Resigning was the honorable course.
Synonyms and how they differ
- upright
- Upright stresses steady personal honesty, while honorable also covers acts that follow a code of conduct.
- noble
- Noble adds a sense of high birth or lofty ideals, which honorable does not.
- principled
- Principled points to acting from firm beliefs, even when it costs something.
- respectable
- Respectable is weaker, often meaning acceptable to society rather than morally admirable.
Opposites
Word family
- honor noun
- respect and high moral standing
- honorably adverb
- in a way that shows integrity
- dishonorable adjective
- shameful and lacking integrity
- honorific noun
- a title that shows respect
Commonly confused: honorable or honorary?
honorable vs honorary
Honorary describes a title or role given as an honor without the usual requirements, such as an honorary degree.
Practice
After losing the election, he gave an ___ speech congratulating his opponent.
Choose one answer.
Honorable describes conduct that deserves respect. Honorary means given as an honor, which does not fit a speech.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “honorable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.