Honour

English

Alternative forms

• honor (chiefly US)

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman honur, from Old French honor, from Latin honor.

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˈɒnə/, SAMPA: /"Qn@/
• (GenAm) IPA: /ˈɑnɚ/, SAMPA: /"An@`/

• Audio (US)

  noicon

  (file)

  Rhymes: -ɒnə(r)

Noun

Honour (countable and uncountable; plural Honours) (UK, Canada)

1. High rank or respect.
   • 1902 CE: Dr. Richard Francis Weymouth, Translation of the New Testament of the Bible

     Book 60, 1 Peter, 002:004 : Come to Him, the ever-living Stone, rejected indeed by men as worthless, but in God's esteem chosen and held in honour.

2. Dignity; reputation as a good person.

   His honour is at stake.

   She swore on her honour.

3. An objectification of praiseworthiness or respect; something that represents praiseworthiness or respect, such as an award given by the state to a citizen.

   Honours are normally awarded twice a year: on The Queen's Birthday in June and at the New Year.

4. A privilege.

   I had the honour of dining with the ambassador.

5. The centre point of the upper half of an armorial escutcheon.
6. (card games) In bridge, an ace, king, queen, jack, or ten especially of the trump suit. In some other games, an ace, king, queen or jack.
7. (golf) The right to play one's ball before one's opponent plays his.
8. (in the plural) For honours degree, a university qualification of the highest rank.

   At university I took honours in modern history.

Translations

objectification of praiseworthiness, respect

Armenian: պատիվ (hy) (pativ) Catalan: honor (ca) m. Cebuano: dungog Croatian: čȃst (hr) f. Czech: čest (cs) f. Dutch: eer (nl) m. Finnish: kunnia (fi), kunnioitus (fi) French: honneur (fr) m. German: Ehre (de) f. Middle High German: ere f. Hungarian: becsület (hu) Ido: honoro (io) Irish: clú (ga) m., oineach (ga) m., onóir (ga) f. Italian: onore (it) m. Japanese: 名誉 (めいよ, meiyo) Kurdish: ئابڕوو

Latvian: gods (lv) m. Nahuatl: mauiztli Old Irish: enech n. Polish: honor (pl) m. Portuguese: honra (pt) Russian: честь (ru) (čest’) f. Scottish Gaelic: onair (gd) f. Serbian: čast (sr) f. Slovene: čast (sl) f. Spanish: honor (es) m. Swedish: ära (sv) c. Telugu: గౌరవం (gauravam) Turkish: kıvanç (tr), onur (tr) West Frisian: eare (fy)

a privilege

Catalan: honor (ca) m. Czech: čest (cs) f. Polish: zaszczyt (pl) m.

Scottish Gaelic: onair (gd) f.

Verb

Honour (third-person singular simple present Honours, present participle Honouring, simple past and past participle Honoured)

1. To think of highly, to respect highly.

   The freedom fighters will be forever remembered and honoured by the people.

2. To confer an honour or privilege upon (someone).

   Ten members of the profession were honoured at the ceremony.

   The prince honoured me with an invitation to his birthday banquet.

3. To conform with, obey (e.g. a treaty or promise)

   I trusted you, but you have not honoured your promise.

4. To make payment in respect of (a cheque, banker's draft etc).

   I'm sorry Sir, but the bank did not honour your cheque.

Translations

think of, respect highly

Dutch: vereren (nl), huldigen (nl) Finnish: kunnioittaa (fi) German: ehren (de) Hungarian: becsül (hu), tisztel (hu)

Irish: oirmhinnigh (ga), onóraigh (ga), tabhair onóir do (ga) Italian: onorare (it) Old English: frēoġan (ang)

confer honour on

Dutch: eren (nl), huldigen (nl) Finnish: kunnioittaa (fi) German: ehren (de)

Hungarian: kitüntet (hu), megtisztel (hu) Portuguese: honrar (pt) Spanish: honrar (es)

The translations below need to be checked.

Translations to be checked

Portuguese: honrar (pt)

Swedish: hedra (sv) Telugu: గౌరవం (gauravaM)

Derived terms

• honourable
• honorary
• honorific
• dishonour
• dishonourable
• honour code
• honour guard
• honour system
• in honour of
• honours degree
• Hons

---

Anglo-Norman

Noun

Honour m. (oblique plural Honours, nominative singular Honours, nominative plural Honour)

1. Late Anglo-Norman spelling of honur

   […] prierent au roi qe mesme le cont purroit estre restorez a ses noun et honour de marquys queux il avoit pardevant.

   […] prayed to the king that even the count could be restored to his name and his honour of marquee that he had before

---

Middle English

Etymology

Anglo-Norman honour

Noun

Honour (plural Honours)

1. honour

Descendants

• English: honour