Honorably

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that demonstrates high moral standards and respect for others
2. Conducted with integrity and worthy of admiration or respect
3. Acting in a way that reflects strong ethical principles and respect towards others

Etymology: "Honorably" is a plain formation: the adjective "honorable" with the suffix "-ly" added. The adjective came into English from Old French "honorable," which traces back to Latin "honorabilis," a derivative of "honor," meaning "honour" or "esteem." The suffix is the more ancient part. It descends from a Proto-Germanic ending, "-līkaz," built on a root meaning "body" or "form," so that "-ly" once meant something like "having the appearance of" and gradually became a general marker of manner. That shift explains how a word about bodily form ended up describing how someone behaves. Old English "-līċe" attached to adjectives to turn them into adverbs, and over the Middle English period it softened into the "-ly" we use today. "Honorably" therefore means, in effect, "in the manner of one who is honorable," and it has carried that sense in English as a simple adverb formed on the adjective.

Synonyms: respectably, dignified

Antonyms: shamefully