honorific
Formal address prefix
An honorific is a title or form of address conveying respect: Dr. , Your Honor, Professor, Sir.
As an adjective, honorific describes language that marks social distinction or deference: Japanese has elaborate honorific verb forms.
Honorifics may indicate professional status, academic achievement, nobility, or simple politeness.
Formal honorific or name
- sirFormal male address
- madamFormal address for women
- lordNobleman or ruler
- ladyCourteous term for woman
mister · missus · doctor · professor · reverend · excellency · majesty · highness
Regard with honor
- reverenceProfound admiring respect
- venerationProfound admiring respect
- esteemFavorable opinion of worth
- deferenceYielding to another's judgment
homage · obeisance · courtesy · etiquette · protocol · decorum · propriety · formality
Smallest meaningful language unit
- prefixRoot-modifying front element
- suffixWord-ending addition
- addressSpeak to formally
- vocativeCase for direct address
politeness · formality · register · pragmatics · sociolinguistics · T-V distinction · pronoun · conjugation
Widespread, not specialized
- colonelSenior military officer
- captainOne who commands
- admiralSenior naval commander
- commanderPerson with authority over others
sergeant · corporal · marshal · commodore · lieutenant · major · brigadier · ensign
Licensed medical healer
- professorSenior university teacher
- deanSenior academic administrator
- chancellorSenior administrative official
- provostSenior academic administrator
emeritus · fellow · master · magister · docent · scholar · laureate · valedictorian
Highest-ranking nobleman
- duchessWoman of ducal rank
- marquisNoble above count
- earlBritish hereditary noble rank
- viscountMid-ranking British noble
baron · baroness · knight · dame · count · countess · laird · thane
Ceremony conferring rank
- inaugurationFormal beginning ceremony
- coronationCeremony installing a sovereign
- enthronementFormal investiture of sovereign
- installationProcess of putting in
ordination · knighting · dubbing · conferral · bestowment · accolade · decoration · pageantry
title
Formal honorific or name
lady · mister · missus · doctor · professor · reverend · excellency · majesty · highness · eminence
respect
Regard with honor
- reverenceProfound admiring respect
- venerationProfound admiring respect
- esteemFavorable opinion of worth
deference · homage · obeisance · courtesy · etiquette · protocol · decorum · propriety · formality · bow
morpheme
Smallest meaningful language unit
vocative · politeness · formality · register · pragmatics · sociolinguistics · T-V distinction · pronoun · conjugation
general
Widespread, not specialized
commander · sergeant · corporal · marshal · commodore · lieutenant · major · brigadier · ensign · cadet
doctor
Licensed medical healer
- professorSenior university teacher
- deanSenior academic administrator
- chancellorSenior administrative official
provost · emeritus · fellow · master · magister · docent · scholar · laureate · valedictorian · summa
duke
Highest-ranking nobleman
viscount · baron · baroness · knight · dame · count · countess · laird · thane · raja
reverend
Worthy of veneration
brother · rabbi · imam · mullah · ayatollah · swami · guru · lama · patriarch · monsignor
investiture
Ceremony conferring rank
- inaugurationFormal beginning ceremony
- coronationCeremony installing a sovereign
- enthronementFormal investiture of sovereign
installation · ordination · knighting · dubbing · conferral · bestowment · accolade · decoration · pageantry · regalia
- title'book title, movie title, album title, job title, headline
- titlesMr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., Miss
- formalitiesetiquette, decorum, manners, salutation, greeting
- speech registersformal, informal, casual, colloquial, vernacular
- Address typesgreeting, salutation, formal address, title, sir
- Chinese namesgiven name, family name, surname, birth name, clan name
honorificpejorative
Term expressing disapproval
derogatory · epithet · slur · insult · dysphemism
- honorific titlesTerms denoting status or respect