Dictionary / noble
noble
- noun
- adjective
- from Old French
An aristocrat; one of aristocratic blood.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “noble” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
noun
- An aristocrat; one of aristocratic blood.
This country house was occupied by nobles in the 16th century.
Older & obsolete senses (1)
- historicalA medieval gold coin of England in the 14th and 15th centuries, usually valued at 6s 8d.
adjective
- Having honorable qualities; having moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean or dubious in conduct and character.
He made a noble effort.
- Grand; stately; magnificent; splendid.
a noble edifice
- Of exalted rank; of or relating to the nobility; distinguished from the masses by birth, station, or title; highborn.
noble blood; a noble personage
- Of an element, unreactive.
- Belonging to a class of grape cultivars traditionally considered most favorable for winemaking, usually encompassing the six: Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling.
- Both isohedral and isogonal.
Cross-check: WordNet senses (5)
- nouna titled peer of the realm — also: Lord, nobleman
- adjectiveimpressive in appearance — also: baronial, imposing, stately
- adjectiveof or belonging to or constituting the hereditary aristocracy especially as derived from feudal times
- adjectivehaving or showing or indicative of high or elevated character
- adjectiveinert especially toward oxygen
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)noble
- Middle Englishnoble
- Old Frenchnoble
- Latinnōbilis “knowable, known, well-known, famous, celebrated, high-born, of noble birth, excellent”
- Latinnōscere
From Middle English noble, from Old French noble, borrowed from Latin nōbilis (“knowable, known, well-known, famous, celebrated, high-born, of noble birth, excellent”), from nōscere, gnōscere (“to know”).
False cognate of Arabic نبيل (nabīl). Displaced native English athel, from Old English æþele.
Derivatives — words built from “noble”
Phrases & compounds
Related terms
Want to go deeper? See also “noble” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “noble” came from before it was English.
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
noble a. [F. noble, fr. L. nobilis that can be or is known, well known, famous, highborn, noble, fr. noscere to know. See know.]
- Possessing eminence, elevation, dignity, etc.; above whatever is low, mean, degrading, or dishonorable; magnanimous; as, a noble nature or action; a noble heart.
- Grand; stately; magnificent; splendid; as, a noble edifice.
- Of exalted rank; of or pertaining to the nobility; distinguished from the masses by birth, station, or title; highborn; as, noble blood; a noble personage.
noble n.
- A person of rank above a commoner; a nobleman; a peer.
- An English money of account, and, formerly, a gold coin, of the value of 6 s. 8 d. sterling, or about $1.61 (in 1913).
- A European fish; the lyrie.
noble v. t.
- To make noble; to ennoble.
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
nounMeaning: An aristocrat; one of aristocratic blood.
This country house was occupied by nobles in the 16th century.
adjectiveMeaning: Having honorable qualities; having moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean or dubious in conduct and character.
He made a noble effort.
He is a noble man who would never put his family in jeopardy.
adjectiveMeaning: Grand; stately; magnificent; splendid.
a noble edifice
adjectiveMeaning: Of exalted rank; of or relating to the nobility; distinguished from the masses by birth, station, or title; highborn.
noble blood; a noble personage
adjectiveMeaning: impressive in appearance
a noble tree
severe-looking policemen sat astride noble horses
adjectiveMeaning: of or belonging to or constituting the hereditary aristocracy especially as derived from feudal times
of noble birth
adjectiveMeaning: having or showing or indicative of high or elevated character
a noble spirit
noble deeds
adjectiveMeaning: inert especially toward oxygen
a noble gas such as helium or neon
noble metals include gold and silver and platinum
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
noble
/ˈnəʊbəl/ · no·ble
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
noble
/ˈnəʊbəl/ · no·ble · noun, adjective
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “noble” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — Which meaning is it?
“This country house was occupied by nobles in the 16th century.”
Circle the meaning used.
“He made a noble effort.”
Circle the meaning used.
“a noble edifice”
Circle the meaning used.
Step 4 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “noble” and what each means:
Step 5 — Original meaning
The earliest traceable form is Latin nōbilis. What did it mean?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 6 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — noble
Which meaning, sentence 1: B. An aristocrat; one of aristocratic blood.
Which meaning, sentence 2: A. Having honorable qualities; having moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean or dubious in conduct and character.
Which meaning, sentence 3: A. Grand; stately; magnificent; splendid.
Origin: D. Old French (Old French noble)
Journey: English noble ← Middle English noble ← Old French noble ← Latin nōbilis ← Latin nōscere
Some derivatives: half-noble, nobleman, angel-noble, antinoble, ennoble, nobility, noble-born, noblebright
Original meaning: Latin nōbilis — “knowable, known, well-known, famous, celebrated, high-born, of noble birth, excellent”
Etymology: From Middle English noble, from Old French noble, borrowed from Latin nōbilis (“knowable, known, well-known, famous, celebrated, high-born, of noble birth, excellent”), from nōscere, gnōscere (“to know”).
Sources: Wiktionary “noble” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/noble#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/noble