honor system
noun
: a system (as at a college) whereby persons are trusted to abide by the regulations (as for a code of conduct) without supervision or surveillance
Examples of honor system in a Sentence
Customers are on the honor system to pay for any software they choose to purchase.
Recent Examples on the Web
The quarantine was not based on an honor system; instead, the Ebola Task Force was responsible for enforcing a quarantine as well as a curfew.
—
Edna Bonhomme, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2025
That’s because there’s no real enforcement mechanism to ensure that someone actually gives away their firearms; rather, everyone essentially operates on an honor system, advocates and attorneys told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2025
Each campus decided whether to use an honor system or, if not, how the devices would be stored or locked up.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
The courts effectively operate on an honor system, relying on the good faith and accuracy of pleadings filed by lawyers, said Broward Chief Judge Jack Tuter.
—Ben Wieder and, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for honor system
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Edna Bonhomme, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2025
That’s because there’s no real enforcement mechanism to ensure that someone actually gives away their firearms; rather, everyone essentially operates on an honor system, advocates and attorneys told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2025
Each campus decided whether to use an honor system or, if not, how the devices would be stored or locked up.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
The courts effectively operate on an honor system, relying on the good faith and accuracy of pleadings filed by lawyers, said Broward Chief Judge Jack Tuter.
—Ben Wieder and, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for honor system
Cite this Entry
“Honor system.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honor%20system. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share