Honored

How to spell honored

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce honored

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does honored mean?

1. verbShowed respect or high regard for someone, or fulfilled a commitment or financial obligation.
2. adjectiveFeeling or regarded with deep respect and pride.

Honored in a sentence

• verb

  The company honored its longest-serving staff at the annual gala.

• adjective

  She felt deeply honored to be invited as the keynote speaker.

• verb

  The bank honored the cheque even though the account was nearly empty.

• adjective

  He was an honored guest at the embassy dinner.

Where does honored come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This is the American spelling of the past form of 'honor', which traces back to the Latin noun honor (also spelled honos), meaning 'esteem', 'dignity', or 'public office'. English took the word through Old French 'honor' or 'onor' during the 1200s, when it covered both the abstract idea of high regard and the concrete privileges granted to a respected person. Over the centuries the verb developed the practical senses still used today: to show respect to someone, and, in commerce, to accept and pay a financial instrument such as a cheque. The classic spelling trap lies in the dropped Latin 'u': British and Canadian writers keep 'honoured' with the -our cluster inherited from French, while American usage trimmed it to 'honored', so the single difference is that missing letter. The same honor root still sits inside 'honest', 'honorary', and 'dishonour', all of which preserve the idea of standing in good repute.

How the word is built

• honor (from Latin honor: esteem, dignity)
• -ed (past tense / participle suffix)

British and American spelling

Honored is the American spelling. British English spells it honoured.