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Glite Dictionary
🎖️ Showing respect 🎖️ A respectful title
honorific

honorific

2 7.2
Showing respect to a person, often as a title or award
  • adjective
  • /ˌɑːnəˈrɪfɪk/
  • Formal
translation icon : honorífico
  • By "embracing Islam" and performing the pilgrimage, he acquires the honorific title Hajj, as does any Muslim who performs the pilgrimage to Mecca.
  • honorific title
  • honorific status

Examples

  • Many distinguished and accomplished figures have served in this position, but, as Professor Bruce Ackerman observes, it is an essentially honorific position that is frequently held by elderly legislators.

    Academic text (2014)

  • The student was pleased to receive the honorific distinction for her outstanding academic achievements.

  • I love how they address each other by the honorific "doctor."

    Blog text (12)

  • Well, these are, of course, enormously honorific activities.

  • "Um, for instance, I apologize for my ignorance about your customs, but is there some honorific or title I should address you by?"

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Theirs is largely an honorific role in Sennar zar.

    Academic text (1995)

  • "Tia" means aunt and is used here in the honorific sense of being the elder female of Angolan music.

    Academic text (2004)

  • In formal situations, it is important to address individuals using an appropriate honorific title like Dr. or Professor.

  • In many cultures, using an honorific term shows respect towards elders and authority figures.

Synonyms

respectful
vshonorific
150 1.1

Being polite and showing admiration for someone

is used for titles or acts that confer respect rather than personal feeling
allocutive
vshonorific
  • Specialized
9.9

Describing a form used to address someone that shows respect or social status

is a general title or action that shows respect not a grammar form

How Respectful

reverential
3 7.6
honorific
  • Formal
2 7.2
deferential
  • Formal
10 6.6
respectful
150 1.1
polite
329 1.0

Surface Forms

honorific positive

Morphology

honorific = honor (semi-transparent) = honor + ific

The relation to 'honor' is clear, but the combining element '-ific' is less familiar/productive to intermediate learners so the derivation may not be fully obvious.

Etymology

Honorific comes from the part honor meaning 'respect' and the ending -ific meaning 'making' or 'causing'. So something that is honorific gives or shows respect, which is why we call a title or act that honours someone 'honorific'.