Honorees

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals recognized for their notable contributions or achievements in a specific field
2. People awarded or celebrated for their excellence and impact within a community or profession
3. Those who receive official acknowledgment or awards for their distinguished work or accomplishments

Etymology: "Honorees" is the plural of "honoree," a noun built in English from "honor" plus the suffix "-ee." That suffix, which came to English through Old French from Latin "-atus," marks the person on the receiving end of an action, so an honoree is someone who is honored, much as an employee is someone who is employed. The pattern is a productive one in English, shaping words like "trainee," "payee," and "addressee." The base word "honor" has a longer road behind it. It descends from Latin "honor," and its ancestry reaches back to the same ancient root that gave English words for dignity and esteem. Its path into English ran through Old French, where the spelling and sense were already well established before English speakers adopted it.

Synonyms: awardees, recipients