honor-bound
Pledged by principle
Honor-bound describes someone obligated by personal honor or moral principle rather than law or contract.
If you're honor-bound to do something, failing to do it would violate your sense of integrity: He felt honor-bound to repay the debt, even though it was no longer legally enforceable.
The phrase implies a self-imposed duty that others might not recognize or require.
Required by duty
- oathFormal binding promise
- swornBound by formal promise
- committedFirmly pledged or bound
- pledgedFormally promised something
vow · loyalty · allegiance · fealty · fidelity · promise · covenant · word
obligated
Required by duty
pledged · vow · loyalty · allegiance · fealty · fidelity · promise · covenant · word · bond
knight
Honored mounted soldier
valor · nobility · gallantry · courtly · warrior · liege · vassal · ronin · squire · heraldry
filial piety
Respect owed to parents
izzat · tribal · lineage · reputation · face · disgrace · shame · tradition · heritage · caste
- honor codesduty, loyalty, chivalry, sworn oath, moral integrity
- commitment levelscommitted, dedicated, devoted, loyal, faithful
honor-bounduncommitted
Not bound to anything
unbound · legally bound · duty-free · unobligated · unbeholden
honor-bounddishonorable
Lacking integrity or ethics
honorless · shameless · unprincipled · unscrupulous · faithless
honor-boundfree
Without payment or restriction
unencumbered · unconstrained · at liberty · unobligated · released
honor, honour, bound, bind, binds, binding, binder, binders, bindings