respectable
Americanadjective
-
worthy of respect or esteem; estimable; worthy.
a respectable citizen.
- Synonyms:
- honorable
-
of good social standing, reputation, etc..
a respectable neighborhood.
-
suitable or good enough to be seen or used.
respectable clothes; respectable language.
-
of moderate excellence; fairly good; fair.
a respectable performance.
-
appreciable in size, number, or amount.
a respectable turnout.
adjective
-
having or deserving the respect of other people; estimable; worthy
-
having good social standing or reputation
-
having socially or conventionally acceptable morals, standards, etc
a respectable woman
-
relatively or fairly good; considerable
a respectable salary
-
fit to be seen by other people; presentable
Other Word Forms
- nonrespectable adjective
- nonrespectableness noun
- nonrespectably adverb
- prerespectable adjective
- quasi-respectable adjective
- quasi-respectably adverb
- respectability noun
- respectableness noun
- respectably adverb
- semirespectable adjective
- superrespectable adjective
- superrespectableness noun
- superrespectably adverb
- ultrarespectable adjective
- ultrarespectableness noun
- ultrarespectably adverb
- unrespectable adjective
Etymology
Origin of respectable
Explanation
Something or someone respectable is honest, good, and proper. Respectable behavior includes things like contributing to charity, volunteering at an animal shelter, and helping your friends study vocabulary. Anything or anyone respectable deserves respect for being honorable or moral. If you return a wallet that you find on the street, that’s respectable behavior. People would probably view you as a respectable person. However, if you removed all the money from the wallet before returning it, that’s not respectable. Respectable can also be used to describe to an adequate or large amount of something. If you return the wallet untouched, you might get a respectable sum as a reward.
Vocabulary lists containing respectable
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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Walk Two Moons
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On Sunday evening, a respectable crowd showed up in the Mojave Tent to pay their respects to the Godfather of Punk, who first played Coachella in a reunion with the Stooges in 2003.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
I could never drive the ball that far, but at one time, I sported a respectable 6 handicap.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
Here, Coppola brings her respectable, confident disregard for the outsider’s opinion to the documentary format, churning out a film that feels proud but not pretentious.
From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026
"This is a job that is more difficult than it looks. Claudia, despite her self-mockery and nerves, put in a respectable first shift," she wrote.
From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026
It had metal bars covering it, of a size that would have kept any unwanted giants at a respectable distance.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
