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Glite Dictionary
🎖️ Ceremonially 🙇 With respect
honorifically

honorifically

8.4
Someone uses a title to show respect but gives no real power or duties
  • adverb
  • /ˌɑːnəˈrɪfɪkli/
  • Formal
translation icon : honoríficamente
  • She was honorifically named president of the club, though she did not participate in its activities.

Examples

  • The title was honorifically bestowed upon him in recognition of his years of service.

  • The title was given honorifically to the retired professor.

  • He was honorifically addressed as 'Doctor' despite not holding a medical degree.

  • She was addressed honorifically at the ceremony.

  • The title was honorifically bestowed upon him in recognition of his years of service.

  • She was honorifically named president of the club, though she did not participate in its activities.

  • He was honorifically addressed as 'Doctor' despite not holding a medical degree.

Surface Forms

honorifically positive

Morphology

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

The adverbial formation from 'honorific' is regular, but 'honorific' itself is a Latinate formation from 'honor' using '-ific', which may be unfamiliar to many learners.

Etymology

Honorifically comes from the word honor, which means 'respect' or 'high rank'. So when a title is given honorifically it is a name given 'for respect' and often only 'in name' without real duties or power.