laudable

adjective

laud·​able ˈlȯ-də-bəl 

: worthy of praise : commendable

She has shown a laudable devotion to her children.

laudableness

ˈlȯ-də-bəl-nəs 

noun

laudably

ˈlȯ-də-blē 

adverb

Did you know?

Let’s have a hearty round of applause for laudable, a word that never fails to celebrate the positive. Laudable comes ultimately from Latin laud- or laus, meaning "praise," as does laudatory. However, the two differ in meaning, and usage commentators warn against using them interchangeably. Laudable means "deserving praise" or "praiseworthy," as in "laudable efforts to help the disadvantaged." Laudatory means "giving praise" or "expressing praise," as in "a laudatory book review." People occasionally use laudatory in place of laudable, but this use is not considered standard.

Synonyms

• admirable
• applaudable
• commendable
• creditable
• estimable
• meritorious
• praiseworthy

Examples of laudable in a Sentence

Improving the schools is a laudable goal.

you showed laudable restraint in dealing with that ridiculously demanding customer

Recent Examples on the Web

From the initial laudable goal — equality of opportunity for all, regardless of gender — the military has been sliding toward something else: equality in outcomes. —Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2025

But that laudable goal is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve, given their data centers' exploding electricity consumption. —Michael Riordan, Scientific American, 31 Jan. 2025

Assistant coach Mitch Johnson has done a laudable job as acting coach, but there is no way to know what effect the absence of Hall of Famer Popovich has had on a team that is the league’s third-youngest. —Mike Monroe, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025

All very laudable, albeit difficult to deliver given the faster moving threat landscape. —Zak Doffman, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

laudable

adjective

laud·​able ˈlȯd-ə-bəl 

: praiseworthy

laudableness

-nəs 

noun

laudably

ˈlȯd-ə-blē 

adverb