noble
noble [noble nobles nobler noblest] adjective, noun BrE [ˈnəʊbl] NAmE [ˈnoʊbl] adjective (no·blerBrE [ˈnəʊblə(r)] ; NAmE [ˈnoʊblər] nob·lestBrE [ˈnəʊblɪst] ; NAmE [ˈnoʊblɪst] ) 1. having fine personal qualities that people admire, such as courage, ↑honesty and care for others •a noble leader •noble ideals •He died for a noble cause. •It was very noble of you to go so far to take him home. compare ↑ignoble 2. very impressive in size or quality Syn: ↑splendid •a noble building 3. belonging to a family of high social rank (= belonging to the ↑nobility ) Syn: ↑aristocratic •a man of noble birth •one of the noblest families in Portugal Word Origin: Middle English: from Old French, from Latin (g)nobilis ‘noted, high-born’, from an Indo-European root shared by ↑know. Example Bank: •He was a young man of noble birth. •Intermarriage between the noble families means that all the counts are related. •She died in a noble cause. Derived Word: ↑nobly noun a person who comes from a family of high social rank; a member of the ↑nobility Syn: ↑aristocrat Word Origin: Middle English: from Old French, from Latin (g)nobilis ‘noted, high-born’, from an Indo-European root shared by ↑know. Example Bank: •The cost of the arch was met by Milanese nobles. •The regime was supported by a group of powerful nobles.
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