honorand

An honorand is a person who is the recipient of an honor or award. In formal usage, the honorand is the individual designated to receive a grant of prestige, title, or privilege conferred by a sovereign, government, university, or other authority. The term is most common in ceremonial or legal language and appears in official charters, diplomas, award notices, and similar documents. The act of granting is the conferment or bestowal of the honor; the person who receives it is the honorand.

Etymology and spelling: the word derives from Latin honorandus, meaning “to be honored,” and entered English through formal usage. The British spelling honours yields the variant honourand, while the American form is honorand.

Usage: today the term is relatively rare outside formal contexts. In everyday speech, words such as honoree, recipient, or awardee are more common. The term can apply to recipients of various honors, including knighthoods, medals, decorations, or honorary degrees. In ceremonial or legal texts, “the honorand” helps to specify the person to whom the honor is conferred, separating the recipient from the act of awarding itself.

Related terms: honorarium (a payment for services) and honorary titles are distinct concepts; honorand should not be confused with the person’s status as an honoree or recipient. The concept is often encountered in universities granting honorary degrees or in royal or state ceremonies bestowing titles.