honorary

adjective

hon·​or·​ary ˈä-nə-ˌrer-ē How to pronounce honorary (audio)
1
a
: having or conferring distinction
an honorary engineering society
b
: commemorative
an honorary plaque
2
: dependent on honor or a keen sense of ethical conduct for fulfillment
an honorary obligation
3
a
: conferred or elected in recognition of achievement or service without the usual prerequisites or obligations
an honorary degree
an honorary member
b
: unpaid, voluntary
an honorary chairman
honorarily adverb
honorary noun

Examples of honorary in a Sentence

He was awarded an honorary degree. He's an honorary member of the club. He is the honorary president of the commission.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The co-chairs are Colman Domingo, F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams and Wintour (who’s held the position since 1995) alongside honorary chair LeBron James. Michelle Lee, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024 Neil Bush, the third son of President Bush, is the founder and chairman of the board of directors, and Carla Hills, the U.S. Trade Representative under Bush, is the honorary chair. Russell Flannery, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024 This marks the first time that the Golden Globes will host a special evening dedicated to the recipients of these two honorary awards. Paul Grein, Billboard, 9 Dec. 2024 Zaki, whose recent credits include the Netflix hit Perfect Strangers and Hany Khalifa’s female empowerment drama Flight 404, which is Egypt’s Oscar entry this year, was feted with an honorary career award on the festival’s opening night, presented by Minnie Driver. Nada Aboul Kheir, Deadline, 7 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for honorary 

Word History

Etymology

Latin honorarius, from honor

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of honorary was in 1606

Dictionary Entries Near honorary

Cite this Entry

“Honorary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honorary. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

honorary

adjective
hon·​or·​ary ˈän-ə-ˌrer-ē How to pronounce honorary (audio)
1
: given or done as a sign of honor
an honorary degree
2
: voluntary entry 1 sense 1, unpaid
honorary president
honorarily adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on honorary

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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