honour

Honour, or honor, is a person's adherence to a set of moral and social values reflecting integrity, courage, loyalty, and fairness. It can refer to personal virtue, a reputation for reliable conduct, or a social esteem awarded by a community. The term derives from Old French honur, from Latin honor, with British English spellings honour and American honor.

In many societies, honour is tied to formal or informal codes: chivalric codes in medieval Europe, samurai bushido, Confucian ideals of righteousness and filial piety. Codes of honour may prescribe truth-telling, keeping promises, defending others, or acting with self-control, and they can sanction conduct through praise or ostracism. Professional contexts may invoke an honour code to regulate behaviour and accountability.

Honour is distinct from legal status; one can act honourably yet violate the law, or vice versa. The concept also intersects with gender and power, with some cultures linking family or community honour to actions by individuals, sometimes leading to harmful practices such as honour-based violence. Because of its subjective and culturally varying nature, definitions of honour shift across time and place. See also: honor code, code of honour, reputation, ethics.