honorary
adjective
hon·or·ary
ˈä-nə-ˌrer-ē 
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
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
This is not Bezos’s first time as the Met Gala’s honorary chair.
—
Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
Late last January, Howard University’s men’s basketball team invited former Washington Wizards star John Wall to be an honorary captain for one of the school’s games.
—Les Carpenter, Washington Post, 30 Apr. 2026
His litany of honors includes the Légion d’Honneur and the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France, Austria’s Decoration of Honour for Science and Art in Vienna, and an honorary professorship at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Gerry Byrne, vice chairman of Variety parent company PMC and a longtime media business executive, will be recognized by his alma mater, New York’s Fordham University, with an honorary doctorate of humane letters at the school’s commencement ceremony on May 16.
—William Earl, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for honorary
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Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
Late last January, Howard University’s men’s basketball team invited former Washington Wizards star John Wall to be an honorary captain for one of the school’s games.
—Les Carpenter, Washington Post, 30 Apr. 2026
His litany of honors includes the Légion d’Honneur and the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France, Austria’s Decoration of Honour for Science and Art in Vienna, and an honorary professorship at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Gerry Byrne, vice chairman of Variety parent company PMC and a longtime media business executive, will be recognized by his alma mater, New York’s Fordham University, with an honorary doctorate of humane letters at the school’s commencement ceremony on May 16.
—William Earl, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for honorary
Cite this Entry
“Honorary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honorary. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
honorary
adjective
hon·or·ary
ˈän-ə-ˌrer-ē
1
: given or done as a sign of honor
an honorary degree
2
: voluntary entry 1 sense 1, unpaid
honorary president
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