respectability

[ ri-spek-tuh-bil-i-tee ]

noun

, plural re·spect·a·bil·i·ties

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

Other Words From

• nonre·specta·bili·ty noun plural nonrespectabilities
• prere·specta·bili·ty noun
• semi·re·specta·bili·ty noun
• super·re·specta·bili·ty noun
• unre·specta·bili·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of respectability¹

First recorded in 1775–85; respectable + -ity

Example Sentences

In modern capitalist societies, an occupation associated with high income and the symbols that money can buy, like a suburban single-family home or an annual summer vacation, creates an aura of respectability and even virtue.

From Salon

Southgate has given England credibility and respectability, rehabilitating them as a global force.

From BBC

Levine helped secure the Enquirer some mainstream respectability, thanks to a series of scoops on John Edwards, a Democrat who was at one point a serious contender in the 2008 presidential race.

From Seattle Times

The significance of Michigan Central’s rebirth is not lost on Mayor Mike Duggan, whose administration has guided Detroit back to respectability since the city’s 2014 exit from the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.

From Seattle Times

The French trial comes as Assad has been regaining an aura of international respectability, starting to shed his long-time status as a pariah that flowed from the violence unleashed on his opponents.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• decency
• honesty
• propriety