respectability

American

[ri-spek-tuh-bil-i-tee] / rɪˌspɛk təˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

plural

respectabilities

the state or quality of being respectable.
respectable social standing, character, or reputation.
a respectable person or persons.
respectabilities, things accepted as respectable.

Other Word Forms

nonrespectability noun
prerespectability noun
semirespectability noun
superrespectability noun
unrespectability noun

Etymology

Origin of respectability

First recorded in 1775–85; respectable + -ity

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.

One victim's family says Bush operated behind a veneer of respectability.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

His job is to find someone to lead a 3-14 team, outscored by 191 points this season, and drag it back to something approaching respectability.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

Seamer Matt Henry took 4-43 as the West Indies top order once again failed to fire, with only Roston Chase's 38 in the middle order giving the total any sense of respectability at Seddon Park.

From Barron's • Nov. 22, 2025

Williamson chose this route for “Unconventional” because he wanted to make an unabashedly queer relationship show “written without respectability politics in mind, so I’d need to find a different pathway.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 17, 2025

Like many other pseudosciences, numerology is ancient, and acquires some respectability from its religious associations.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023