Honorable — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈä-nə-rə-bəl/ hon·or·able

Meaning & Definition of Honorable

Honorable (adjective)

  1. deserving of respect or high regard, deserving of honor
  2. of great renown, illustrious
  3. entitled to honor or respect —used as a title for the children of certain British noblemen and for various government officials

Honorable (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. following the accepted rules of moral conduct

    "the only honorable thing to do is to admit that you were wrong and apologize"

    similar: decent, ethical, honest, just, noble, principled, respectable, righteous, stand-up, upright, upstanding
    related: blameless, guiltless, irreproachable, unassailable, unimpeachable, chivalrous, classy, high-minded, menschy, right-minded, conscientious, fair, good, incorruptible, moral, reputable, respected, scrupulous, uncorrupted, virtuous, decorous, nice, polite, proper, seemly
    opposite: base, dishonest, dishonorable, ignoble, low, unethical, unjust, unprincipled, unrighteous, unworthy
    near: bad, blackguardly, corrupt, criminal, crooked, evil, immoral, iniquitous, knavish, mean, nefarious, rascally, reprehensible, roguish, rotten, scoundrelly, sinful, unfair, unscrupulous, vile, villainous, wicked, wretched, blamable, blameworthy, censurable, culpable, debased, debauched, decadent, degenerate, degraded, demoralized, depraved, disgraceful, disreputable, dissipated, dissolute, libertine, loose, perverse, perverted, profligate, reprobate, shameful, venal

  2. conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue

    "it was honorable of you to give all the credit to your friend"

    similar: all right, decent, ethical, good, honest, just, moral, nice, right, right-minded, righteous, straight, true, upright, virtuous
    related: correct, decorous, proper, seemly, high-minded, noble, principled, commendable, creditable, exemplary, legitimate, esteemed, law-abiding, menschy, reputable, respected, upstanding, worthy, blameless, clean, guiltless, immaculate, incorrupt, incorruptible, innocent, inoffensive, irreproachable, unobjectionable, angelic, lily-white, pure, scrupulous, spotless, uncorrupted, unerring, goody-goody, moralistic, pharisaical, rectitudinous, sanctimonious, self-righteous
    opposite: bad, dishonest, dishonorable, evil, evil-minded, immoral, indecent, sinful, unethical, unrighteous, wicked, wrong
    near: improper, incorrect, indecorous, naughty, unbecoming, unseemly, corrupt, debased, debauched, degenerate, depraved, dissolute, libertine, perverted, reprobate, unprincipled, unscrupulous, atrocious, infamous, villainous, base, low, mean, vicious, vile, blameworthy, objectionable, offensive, iniquitous, nefarious, errant, erring, fallen

  3. guided by or in accordance with one's sense of right and wrong

    "I believe that if I genuinely cannot decide fairly, I should do the honorable thing and decline to serve on the panel"

    similar: conscientious, conscionable, ethical, honest, just, moral, principled, scrupulous
    related: decent, good, righteous, right-minded, straight, upright, virtuous, dutiful, observant, respectful, overconscientious, reliable, responsible, solid, tried-and-true, true, trustworthy, trusty, esteemed, law-abiding, reputable, respected, upstanding, worthy
    opposite: cutthroat, dishonest, dishonorable, immoral, unconscionable, unethical, unjust, unprincipled, unscrupulous
    near: bad, evil, evil-minded, immoral, indecent, sinful, unrighteous, wicked, unreliable, untrustworthy, corrupt, debased, debauched, degenerate, depraved, dissolute, perverted, reprobate, atrocious, infamous, villainous, base, low, mean, vicious, vile, iniquitous, nefarious

Related Entry: Honorable mention (noun)

Honorable mention is a different word from Honorable. The synonyms below are for honorable mention, not for honorable.

  1. recognition given to someone who has done something extremely well but who has not won the top honor

    "They didn't win the science fair competition but were pleased to receive an honorable mention."

    similar: citation, commendation, compliment, accolade, award, blue ribbon, decoration, distinction, honor, kudo, plume, premium, prize, badge, crown, cup, laurel, medal, order, plaque, plate, ribbon, trophy, applause, bravo, encomium, eulogy, hallelujah, homage, paean, panegyric, plaudit, tribute

Related Entry: Honorable mentions (noun)

Honorable mentions is a different word from Honorable. The synonyms below are for honorable mentions, not for honorable.

  1. recognition given to someone who has done something extremely well but who has not won the top honor

    "They didn't win the science fair competition but were pleased to receive an honorable mention."

    similar: citations, commendations, compliments, accolades, awards, blue ribbons, decorations, distinctions, honors, kudos, plumes, premiums, prizes, badges, crowns, cups, laurels, medals, orders, plaques, plates, ribbons, trophies, applauses, bravos, encomiums, eulogies, hallelujahs, homages, paeans, panegyrics, plaudits, tributes

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Honorable

The most common words with a similar meaning to Honorable:

decent, ethical, honest, just, noble, principled, respectable, righteous, stand-up, upright, upstanding, all right, good, moral, nice, right, right-minded, straight, true, virtuous, conscientious, conscionable, scrupulous

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Honorable

Words with the opposite meaning of Honorable:

base, dishonest, dishonorable, ignoble, low, unethical, unjust, unprincipled, unrighteous, unworthy, bad, evil, evil-minded, immoral, indecent, sinful, wicked, wrong, cutthroat, unconscionable, unscrupulous

Related Words for Honorable

blameless, guiltless, irreproachable, unassailable, unimpeachable, chivalrous, classy, high-minded, menschy, fair, incorruptible, reputable, respected, uncorrupted, decorous, polite, proper, seemly, correct, commendable, creditable, exemplary, legitimate, esteemed, law-abiding, worthy, clean, immaculate, incorrupt, innocent

Near Antonyms of Honorable

blackguardly, corrupt, criminal, crooked, iniquitous, knavish, mean, nefarious, rascally, reprehensible, roguish, rotten, scoundrelly, unfair, vile, villainous, wretched, blamable, blameworthy, censurable, culpable, debased, debauched, decadent, degenerate, degraded, demoralized, depraved, disgraceful, disreputable

Word Forms of Honorable

Derived words: honorability (noun), honorableness (noun), honorably (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Honorable

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Honorable

honorable mention

Frequently Asked Questions about Honorable

What does "Honorable" mean?

"Honorable" means deserving of respect or high regard, deserving of honor. As an adjective, it is defined as: deserving of respect or high regard, deserving of honor. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Honorable"?

Other words for "Honorable" include decent, ethical, honest, just, noble, principled, respectable and righteous. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Honorable" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Honorable"?

There are 76 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Honorable". Common alternatives include decent, ethical, honest, just, noble, principled, respectable, righteous, stand-up and upright.

What is the opposite of "Honorable"?

Antonyms of "Honorable" include base, dishonest, dishonorable, ignoble, low, unethical, unjust and unprincipled. Near antonyms include blackguardly, corrupt, criminal and crooked.

How do you use "Honorable" in a sentence?

Examples of "Honorable" in a sentence: "the only honorable thing to do is to admit that you were wrong and apologize"; "it was honorable of you to give all the credit to your friend"; "I believe that if I genuinely cannot decide fairly, I should do the honorable thing and decline to serve on the panel".

Is "Honorable" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Honorable" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Honorable"?

"Honorable" is pronounced /ˈä-nə-rə-bəl/ and divided into syllables as hon·or·able.

What is the origin of the word "Honorable"?

First known use: 14th century.