Meanings
honorable1
comparative more honorable · superlative most honorable · alternative honble · alternative Honorable · alternative honourable · alternative Honourable
- USWorthy of respect; respectable.
In confinement ladies are attended, not by the ordinary doctors, but by women especially devoted to the calling, who regard their profession as honorable and humanitary.
1887, The Popular Science Monthly, volume 31, page 629Synonyms: estimable, noble, venerable, admirable, allowable, commendable, creditable, estimable · Antonyms: contemptible, despicable, mean
- USComplying with cultural rules regarding honor; not provoking shame or disgrace.
That culture considered it no disgrace to be defeated in honorable combat.
1 more example
Luxury was abolished. People lived in honorable marriage. All the women were chaste, faithful, and far from wantoners.
1943, Korean Research Bulletin, volumes 1-2, page 20 - USgovernmentA courtesy title, given in Britain and the Commonwealth to a cabinet minister, minister of state, or senator, and in the United States to the president, vice president, congresspeople, state governors and legislators, and mayors.
Uncheered by friends, unhissed by foes, the honorable member blandly continued his speech […]
1872, Dinah Maria Mulock Craik, The Unkind Word, and Other Stories, page 145 - USA courtesy title, given in the United Kingdom to all sons and daughters of viscounts and barons and to the younger sons of earls.
plural honorables · alternative honble · alternative Honorable · alternative honourable · alternative Honourable
- USA politician or other person who bears the title of "honorable".
These included a reception for the Congress participants, given by the city of Barcelona in a 14th century palace, with guards making room for the mayor and other honorables, […]
1959, American Journal of Psychotherapy, volume 13, page 111
Honorable2
- Alternative letter-case form of honorable.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveWorthy of respect; respectable.
adjectiveA courtesy title, given in Britain and the Commonwealth to a cabinet minister, minister of state, or senator, and in the United States to the president, vice president, congresspeople, state governors and legislators, and mayors.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivenot disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent; marked by truth
adjectiveworthy of being honored; entitled to honor and respect
adjectiveadhering to ethical and moral principles
adjectivedeserving of esteem and respect
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinhonōrābilis
- Old Frenchhonorable
- Middle Englishhonourable
- Englishhonorable
From Middle English honourable, from Old French honorable, honurable, from Latin honōrābilis, from honōrō (“to honour”); cognate with Italian onorabile, Spanish honorable. By surface analysis, honor + -able. In this sense, largely displaced Old English ārfæst.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek τίμιος
- τίμιος (tímios)worthy of respect
Bulgarian уважа́ем, достопочте́н
- уважа́ем (uvažáem)worthy of respect
- достопочте́н (dostopočtén)worthy of respect
- почте́н (počtén)worthy of respect
Catalan honorable
- honorableworthy of respect
Chinese Mandarin 可敬
- 可敬 (kějìng)worthy of respect
Czech ctihodný
- ctihodnýworthy of respect
Dutch eervol, hooggeacht
- eervolworthy of respect
- hooggeachtworthy of respect
- hoogedelgestrengworthy of respect
- edelachtbaarworthy of respect
Esperanto honorinda
- honorindaworthy of respect
Finnish kunnioitettava, kunnianarvoisa
- kunnioitettavaworthy of respect
- kunnianarvoisaworthy of respect
French honorable
- honorableworthy of respect
German ehrbar
- ehrbarworthy of respect
Greek αξιότιμος, εντιμότατος
- αξιότιμος (axiótimos)worthy of respect
- εντιμότατος (entimótatos)worthy of respect
Hungarian tiszteletreméltó
- tiszteletreméltóworthy of respect
Italian onorevole, onorabile
- onorevoleworthy of respect
- onorabileworthy of respect
Japanese 偉い, 素晴らしい
- 偉い (erai)worthy of respect
- 素晴らしい (subarashii)worthy of respect
- 立派な (rippa na)worthy of respect
Latin honōrābilis, honestus
- honōrābilisworthy of respect
- honestusworthy of respect
Māori whakahōnore
- whakahōnoreworthy of respect
Norwegian Bokmål hederlig, ærverdig
- hederligworthy of respect
- ærverdigworthy of respect
- respektabelworthy of respect
Polish czcigodny, szanowny
- czcigodnyworthy of respect
- szanownyworthy of respect
- dostojnyworthy of respect
Portuguese honorável
- honorávelworthy of respect
Romanian onorabil
- onorabilworthy of respect
Russian благоро́дный, уважа́емый
- благоро́дный (blagoródnyj)worthy of respect
- уважа́емый (uvažájemyj)worthy of respect
- почте́нный (počténnyj)worthy of respect
- почётный (počótnyj)worthy of respect
Scottish Gaelic onarach
- onarachworthy of respect
Spanish honorable, honrable
- honorableworthy of respect
- honrableworthy of respect
Swedish hedervärd, ärevördig
- hedervärdworthy of respect
- ärevördigworthy of respect
Tagalog kagalang-galang
- kagalang-galangworthy of respect
Turkish saygıdeğer
- saygıdeğerworthy of respect
Ukrainian благоро́дний, шляхе́тний
- благоро́дний (blahoródnyj)worthy of respect
- шляхе́тний (šljaxétnyj)worthy of respect
- поважа́ний (považányj)worthy of respect
- шано́ваний (šanóvanyj)worthy of respect
- поче́сний (počésnyj)worthy of respect
- пошти́вий (poštývyj)worthy of respect
- шано́вний (šanóvnyj)worthy of respect
Cite this entry
honorable. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/honorable
“honorable.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/honorable. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “honorable,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/honorable.
Source: honorable on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.