the assumed obligation of people of high rank or social position to behave nobly or kindly toward others
Origin of noblesse oblige
Fr, literally , nobility obligesnoblesse oblige
noblesse o·bligeWebster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"noblesse oblige." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 11 April 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/noblesse-oblige>.
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noblesse oblige. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/noblesse-oblige
noblesse oblige
noun
Benevolent, honorable behavior considered to be the responsibility of persons of high birth or rank.
Origin of noblesse oblige
French nobility is an obligation noblesse nobility oblige third person sing. present tense of obliger to obligateTHE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"noblesse oblige." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 11 April 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/noblesse-oblige>.
APA Style
noblesse oblige. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/noblesse-oblige
Noun
(uncountable)
- The honourable obligation that is the responsibility of those of high rank; in American English this often includes the expectation of benevolent actions such as helping those less fortunate.
Usage notes
- The Oxford English Dictionary says that the term "suggests noble ancestry constrains to honourable behavior; privilege entails to responsibility." Being a noble meant that you had responsibilities to lead, manage, etc. You were not to simply spend your time in idle pursuits.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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MLA Style
"noblesse oblige." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 11 April 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/noblesse-oblige>.
APA Style
noblesse oblige. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/noblesse-oblige
