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
The very funny Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret (or Ma’am Darling in the UK) shows how shocking stories of Princess Margaret’s bad behavior served to make her sister, the Queen, look more respectable. Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 13 Mar. 2024 That’s much less than the $7 million CBS charged for the Super Bowl this year, but the Oscars bring in a respectable $120 million in ad revenue for ABC on Oscar Sunday. Jasmine Li, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2024 In 1999, after just five years in business, Amazon generated a respectable $650 million in yearly sales, or about 5% of all U.S. e-commerce. Greg Petro, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Taylor Swift's chug came in at a very respectable 6.6 seconds. Jon Hoefling, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2024 Rozier has been a respectable outside shooter during his NBA career, but he’s never been among the most efficient in the league. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2024 The Bruins were blown out despite committing only four turnovers and shooting a respectable 44.6%. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 The only liquid needed for risotto is broth — chicken broth (or chicken stock), vegetable broth or mushroom broth — so choose one with a respectable flavor. Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024 The new Oxford edition, ever dutiful, treats us to the poet’s earnest envoi, its stanzas stiff with respectable yearning. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024
Noun
Shaken respectables thought the Paris Commune had crossed the Atlantic. Sean Wilentz, New York Times, 19 Sep. 2017

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

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1814, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of respectable was in 1599

Dictionary Entries Near respectable

Cite this Entry

“Respectable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/respectable. Accessed 19 Mar. 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

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