noblesse oblige
French, phrase/nɔ.blɛ.s‿ɔ.bliʒ/
noblesse oblige is spelled N-O-B-L-E-S-S-E-O-B-L-I-G-E (14 letters). Noblesse oblige is a French phrase meaning “noble or more generally high-ranked people have honourable obligations towards lower-ranked or less fortunate ones, and should behave nobly…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire) defines it as “Quiconque prétend être noble doit se conduire noblement”.
What does noblesse oblige mean in English?
phrase
- 1
noble or more generally high-ranked people have honourable obligations towards lower-ranked or less fortunate ones, and should behave nobly towards them
Source: English Wiktionary, French section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How French dictionaries define it
phrase: 1. Quiconque prétend être noble doit se conduire noblement. 2. On doit agir en conformité avec la situation qu’on occupe, avec la réputation qu’on s’est acquise.
The definition in the French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire), in French.
Source: French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire), dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
How do you pronounce noblesse oblige?
- /nɔ.blɛ.s‿ɔ.bliʒ/
- /nɔ.ble.s‿ɔ.bliʒ/
- \nɔ.blɛ.s‿ɔ.bliʒ\
Sources: English Wiktionary, French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026); recordings from Wikimedia Commons.