Word Of The Day

noblesse oblige \noh-BLESS-uh-BLEEZH\ noun : the obligation of honorable, generous, and responsible behavior associated with high rank or birth

Example sentence: "In the Robinson family's circles, public service had long been common; it connoted not personal ambition so much as noblesse oblige." (Connie Bruck, _The New Yorker_, July 23, 1990)

Did you know? In French, "noblesse oblige" means literally "nobility obligates." French speakers transformed the phrase into a noun, which English speakers picked up in the 19th century. Then, as now, "noblesse oblige" referred to the unwritten obligation of people from a noble ancestry to act honorably and generously to others. Later, by extension, it also came to refer to the obligation of anyone who is in a better position than others -- due, for example, to high office or celebrity -- to act respectably and responsibly.