honour among thieves

A form of honor among thieves — Trustworthiness within a group that is not considered trustworthy by outsiders.

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Meanings

nounhonour among thieves (uncountable)
  1. alternativeuncountableAlternative form of honor among thieves.

    Such people will observe honour among thieves because, within a closed group, failure to keep one's word is soon detected and leads to exclusion from the group, which conflicts with one's particular interests.

    2003, Timothy O'Hagan, Rousseau, →ISBN, page 102
Cite this entry
APA

honour among thieves. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/honour%20among%20thieves

MLA

“honour among thieves.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/honour%20among%20thieves. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “honour among thieves,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/honour%20among%20thieves.

Source: honour among thieves on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.