Definitions for honour
ˈɒn ərhon·our

Princeton's WordNet(5.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. honor, honour, laurels(noun)

   the state of being honored

2. award, accolade, honor, honour, laurels(noun)

   a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction

   "an award for bravery"

3. honor, honour(noun)

   the quality of being honorable and having a good name

   "a man of honor"

4. honor, honour, purity, pureness(verb)

   a woman's virtue or chastity

5. honor, honour, reward(verb)

   bestow honor or rewards upon

   "Today we honor our soldiers"; "The scout was rewarded for courageous action"

6. respect, honor, honour, abide by, observe(verb)

   show respect towards

   "honor your parents!"

7. honor, honour(verb)

   accept as pay

   "we honor checks and drafts"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. honour(Noun)

   recognition of importance or spiritual value; respect

   Etymology: From honour, honur, from honor, from honor.

2. honour(Noun)

   favourable reputation; dignity; sense of self-worth

   Etymology: From honour, honur, from honor, from honor.

3. honour(Noun)

   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.

   Etymology: From honour, honur, from honor, from honor.

4. honour(Noun)

   A privilege.

   I had the honour of dining with the ambassador.

   Etymology: From honour, honur, from honor, from honor.

5. honour(Noun)

   The centre point of the upper half of an armorial escutcheon; also honour point.

   Etymology: From honour, honur, from honor, from honor.

6. honour(Noun)

   In bridge, an ace, king, queen, jack, or ten especially of the trump suit. In some other games, an ace, king, queen or jack.

   Etymology: From honour, honur, from honor, from honor.

7. honour(Noun)

   The right to play one's ball before one's opponent plays his.

   Etymology: From honour, honur, from honor, from honor.

8. honour(Noun)

   For honours degree, a university qualification of the highest rank.

   At university I took honours in modern history.

   Etymology: From honour, honur, from honor, from honor.

9. honour(Verb)

   To think of highly, to respect highly, to recognise the importance or spiritual value of

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

   Etymology: From honour, honur, from honor, from honor.

10. honour(Verb)

    To confer an honour or privilege upon (someone).

    Etymology: From honour, honur, from honor, from honor.

11. honour(Verb)

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

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

    Etymology: From honour, honur, from honor, from honor.

12. honour(Verb)

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

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

    Etymology: From honour, honur, from honor, from honor.

13. Honour(ProperNoun)

    A female given name from English, a less common spelling of Honor.

Freebase(4.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Honour

   Honor or honour is an abstract concept entailing a perceived quality of worthiness and respectability that affects both the social standing and the self-evaluation of an individual or corporate body such as a family, school, regiment or nation. Accordingly, individuals are assigned worth and stature based on the harmony of their actions with a specific code of honour, and the moral code of the society at large. Honour can be viewed in the light of Psychological nativism as being as real to the human condition as love, and likewise deriving from the formative personal bonds that establish one's personal dignity and character. From the point of moral relativism, honour is perceived as arising from universal concerns for material circumstance and status, rather than fundamental differences in principle between those who hold different honour codes. Dr Samuel Johnson, in his A Dictionary of the English Language, defined honour as having several senses, the first of which was "nobility of soul, magnanimity, and a scorn of meanness." This sort of honour derives from the perceived virtuous conduct and personal integrity of the person endowed with it. On the other hand, Johnson also defined honour in relationship to "reputation" and "fame"; to "privileges of rank or birth", and as "respect" of the kind which "places an individual socially and determines his right to precedence." This sort of honour is not so much a function of moral or ethical excellence, as it is a consequence of power. Finally, with respect to women, honour has traditionally been associated with "chastity" or "virginity", or in case of a married woman, "fidelity". Some have argued that honour should be seen more as a rhetoric, or set of possible actions, than as a code.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Honour

   on′or, n. the esteem due or paid to worth: respect: high estimation: veneration, said of God: that which rightfully attracts esteem: exalted rank: distinction: excellence of character: nobleness of mind: any special virtue much esteemed: any mark of esteem: a title of respect: (pl.) privileges of rank or birth: civilities paid: at whist, one of the four highest trump cards (if one pair of partners hold four honours they score four points; if three, two points; if only two, none—'Honours easy'): (golf) the right to play first from the tee: academic prizes or distinctions.—v.t. to hold in high esteem: to respect: to adore: to exalt: to accept and pay when due.—adj. Hon′ourable, worthy of honour: illustrious: actuated by principles of honour: conferring honour: becoming men of exalted station: a title of distinction.—n. Hon′ourableness, eminence: conformity to the principles of honour: fairness.—adv. Hon′ourably.—adjs. Hon′oured; Hon′ourless.—n. Hon′our-point (her.), the point just above the fesse-point.—Honour bright! a kind of interjectional minor oath or appeal to honour; Honours of war, the privileges granted to a capitulating force to march out with their arms, flags, &c.—Affair of honour, a duel; Debt of honour (see Debt); Last honours, funeral rites: obsequies; Laws of honour, the conventional rules of honourable conduct, esp. in the causes and conduct of duels; Maid of honour, a lady in the service of a queen or princess; Point of honour, any scruple caused by a sense of duty: the obligation to demand and to receive satisfaction for an insult, esp. in the duel; Upon my honour, an appeal to one's honour or reputation in support of a certain statement; Word of honour, a verbal promise which cannot be broken without disgrace. [Fr.,—L. honor.]

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. honour

   To award a person justly for their contribution, commitment, service or public service to their community, locality, region, country or the world.

   It brings to your heart to see a person who has contributed to their local community out of love and passion for their fellow beings receiving an honour.

   Submitted by MaryC on August 2, 2016  

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'honour' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #4086

2. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'honour' in Nouns Frequency: #1221

3. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'honour' in Verbs Frequency: #1025

How to pronounce honour?

1. Alex

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

How to say honour in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of honour in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of honour in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of honour in a Sentence

1. Simon Cowell:

   I'd accept an honour but I don't think I'm likely to get one. The Queen once described me as a dreadful man

2. Arsen Avakov:

   It is an honour for us to help Italy during such tough times. We know that many Ukrainians live and work in Italy. By helping Italy, we are helping our citizens.

3. Socrates:

   The shortest and surest way to live with honour in the world, is to be in reality what we would appear to be; and if we observe, we shall find, that all human virtues increase and strengthen themselves by the practice of them.

4. Moliere:

   Rest assured that there is nothing which wounds the heart of a noble man more deeply than the thought his honour is assailed.

5. Aeschylus:

   Few men have the natural strength to honour a friend's success without envy.

Images & Illustrations of honour

Popularity rank by frequency of use