respectable

1 of 2

adjective

re·​spect·​able ri-ˈspek-tə-bəl How to pronounce respectable (audio)
1
: worthy of respect : estimable
2
: decent or correct in character or behavior : proper
3
a
: fair in size or quantity
a respectable amount
b
: moderately good : tolerable
4
: fit to be seen : presentable
respectable clothes
respectability noun
respectableness noun
respectably adverb

respectable

2 of 2

noun

: a respectable person

Examples of respectable in a Sentence

Adjective She comes from a very respectable family. no respectable dietician would advise people to eat just one kind of food
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
However, the Mate 60 RS, which Huawei released last year similarly had respectable reservations numbers, but failed to transfer them to actual sales, according to Yang. Dylan Butts, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2024 In 2023, online Cyber 5 sales grew a respectable 7.8%. Bernard May, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024
Noun
Shaken respectables thought the Paris Commune had crossed the Atlantic. Sean Wilentz, New York Times, 19 Sep. 2017 See all Example Sentences for respectable 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'respectable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1770, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of respectable was in 1603

Dictionary Entries Near respectable

Cite this Entry

“Respectable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/respectable. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

respectable

adjective
re·​spect·​able
ri-ˈspek-tə-bəl
1
: worthy of respect : reputable
2
: decent or correct in character or behavior : proper
respectable people
3
: fair in size, quality, or quantity
a respectable amount of money
4
: fit to be seen : presentable
respectable clothes
respectability
-ˌspek-tə-ˈbil-ət-ē
noun
respectableness
-ˈspek-tə-bəl-nəs
noun
respectably
-blē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on respectable

Last Updated: - Definition revised
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!