Meaning & use
respectable
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparableapproving
Considered honest, decent, and proper by most people in society, with a good name.
Grammar: Can follow be or come before a noun: a respectable family; sometimes used with a slightly old-fashioned tone.
Patterns
- a respectable family
- a respectable person
He came from a respectable family and held a steady job at the bank.
She wanted to find a respectable career before settling down.
The boarding house only accepted respectable guests.
adjectivecomparable
Good enough in size, amount, or quality to be acceptable, though not outstanding.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun and suggests acceptable but not excellent: a respectable score.
Patterns
- a respectable score
- a respectable amount of something
The team finished with a respectable score despite the injuries.
He earns a respectable salary, though nothing extravagant.
She made a respectable attempt at the difficult piece.
adjectivecomparable
Neat and tidy enough to be seen in public or to meet other people.
Grammar: Often follows look or make yourself: I need to look respectable.
Patterns
- look respectable
- make something respectable
Put on a clean shirt so you look respectable for the interview.
He tried to make the old car look respectable before selling it.
The children were washed and dressed in respectable clothes.
Word forms
| comparative | more respectable |
|---|---|
| superlative | most respectable |
Common combinations
- respectable family
- Her parents were a respectable family in the village.
- perfectly respectable
- It is a perfectly respectable way to earn a living.
- respectable score
- He got a respectable score on the test.
- respectable job
- He found a respectable job in an accounting firm.
- look respectable
- I tried to look respectable for my first meeting.
Synonyms and how they differ
- decent
- Decent is more casual and can describe either good character or acceptable quality, while respectable emphasizes how society sees someone.
- reputable
- Reputable describes businesses or sources with a good reputation, not private people or ordinary quality levels.
- proper
- Proper suggests following social rules strictly, while respectable focuses on being accepted by society.
- acceptable
- Acceptable says only that something is good enough, whereas respectable adds a mild sense of approval.
Opposites
Word family
- respect noun
- admiration or regard for someone or something
- respectability noun
- the quality of being considered proper and decent
- respectably adverb
- in a decent and acceptable way
- unrespectable adjective
- not worthy of respect, a rare word
- respectful adjective
- showing respect to others
Commonly confused: respectable or respectful? respectable or respective?
respectable vs respectful
Respectful describes someone who shows respect to others, while respectable describes someone who deserves or receives respect.
respectable vs respective
Respective means belonging separately to each person mentioned, as in they went to their respective homes; it has no link with moral standing.
Practice
Which word best fits: 'Though not the winner, she gave a ___ performance and finished fourth.'
Choose one answer.
Respectable here means good enough to be acceptable. Respectful describes polite behavior and respective means individual, so neither fits a performance.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “respectable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.