as in commemorative
serving to preserve the memory of a person, thing, or an event
an honorary plaque marking the site of the first public school in America
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Recent Examples of honorary
The recipients, who will accept the honorary Oscars at the 17th Governors Awards event on Sunday, November 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, were voted on by the Academy’s Board of Governors.
—
Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 10 June 2026
Almost so good that all of these people should have additional Oscars to go alongside their honorary ones.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 10 June 2026
Producer Jamie deRoy, who graduated from the School of Drama in 1967 and received an honorary doctorate of fine arts during May's commencement ceremony, is now the 67th Carnegie Mellon University alumna to win a Tony Award.
—Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 8 June 2026
The film premiered at Cannes, where Travolta was given an honorary Palme d’Or, much to his surprise.
—Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for honorary
Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 10 June 2026
Almost so good that all of these people should have additional Oscars to go alongside their honorary ones.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 10 June 2026
Producer Jamie deRoy, who graduated from the School of Drama in 1967 and received an honorary doctorate of fine arts during May's commencement ceremony, is now the 67th Carnegie Mellon University alumna to win a Tony Award.
—Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 8 June 2026
The film premiered at Cannes, where Travolta was given an honorary Palme d’Or, much to his surprise.
—Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for honorary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honorary
Adjective
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The White House’s Freedom 250 UFC fight may be firmly in the rearview mirror, but fans can still get their hands on a commemorative coin priced at nearly $12,000.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
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Besides the Arkansas diamond, New Mexican bolo tie, and Maine’s whale bone, many states contributed commemorative coins, letters from their state leaders, and poems.—
Molly Parks,
The Washington Examiner,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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The memorial effort dragged for years as the private onePulse Foundation, originally tasked to create it, stumbled and then collapsed amid excessive ambition that produced a plan for a $100 million memorial and museum the group had no ability to fund.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
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Following the 2023 dissolution of the onePulse Foundation’s efforts, the City of Orlando purchased the nightclub building and lot to lead the memorial creation process.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Honorary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honorary. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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