noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ɹɪˌspɛktəˈbɪlɪti/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:R IY0 S P EH2 K T AH0 B IH1 L IH0 T IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The quality of being respectable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The class of respectable people.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
honorableness by virtue of being respectable and having a good reputation
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: reputability
Antonyms: unrespectability
Broader terms: honorableness, honourableness
Narrower terms: decency
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English respect Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-dhlom Proto-Indo-European *-dhlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Proto-Indo-European *-teh2 Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh2ts Proto-Italic *-tāts Latin -tās Latin -abilitas Middle French -abletébor. Middle English -ablete English -ability English respectability From respect + -ability.
Across languages
Translations
17 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
почтеност
(počtenost)
— quality of being respectable
Bulgarian:
порядъчност
(porjadǎčnost)
— quality of being respectable
Danish:
respektabelhed
— quality of being respectable
Dutch:
respectabiliteit
— quality of being respectable
Dutch:
eerbiedwaardigheid
— quality of being respectable
Finnish:
kunnioitettavuus
— quality of being respectable
French:
respectabilité
— quality of being respectable
Ido:
respektindeso
— quality of being respectable
Italian:
rispettabilità
— quality of being respectable
Italian:
perbenismo
— quality of being respectable
Polish:
przyzwoitość
— quality of being respectable
Portuguese:
respeitabilidade
— quality of being respectable
Romanian:
respectabilitate
— quality of being respectable
Russian:
респекта́бельность
(respektábelʹnostʹ)
— quality of being respectable
Russian:
почте́нность
(počténnostʹ)
— quality of being respectable
Spanish:
respetabilidad
— quality of being respectable
Swedish:
respektabilitet
— quality of being respectable