French word

noble

Pronunciation

IPA/nɔbl/

Meaning

  • adjectivenoble

Example

Son geste était noble.

His gesture was noble.

Illustration for noble (noble)

More examples

Il descend d'une famille noble.

He is descended from a noble family.

Core concept

A dignified quality that can belong to both a person's character and social standing.

Common phrases

  • un geste noble

    a noble gesture

  • une cause noble

    a noble cause

  • une famille noble

    a noble family

Similar words

gentil: Kind, considerate, and gentle toward others.
aimable: Friendly and pleasant in dealing with people.
digne: Calm and worthy of respect.
élégant: Refined and well-groomed in appearance or manner.

Definition in French

Qui possède une haute valeur morale ou qui appartient à la noblesse.

Word origin

French noble comes through Old French from Latin nobilis, a word for someone known or distinguished that developed a social sense of high birth.

Usage tips

  • Noble can sound elevated in everyday praise, so casual compliments often use words such as sympa instead.

Other meanings

  • honorableadjective
  • aristocratnoun
  • loftyadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word