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Origin and history of respectability

respectability(n.)

1777, "state or character of being respectable; qualities which deserve or command respect," from respectable + -ity. By 1808 as "those who are respectable."

also from 1777

Entries linking to respectability

respectable(adj.)

1580s, "worthy of notice or observation" (a sense now obsolete); 1590s, "worthy of esteem by reason of inherent qualities;" see respect (v.) + -able.

Of persons, "having an honest reputation" from 1755; the sense of "moderately well-to-do and deserving respect for morality; occupying a fairly good position in society" is by 1800. From 1755 as "considerable in size or number;" from 1775 as "not too big, tolerable, fair, mediocre." Related: Respectably.

-ity

word-forming element making abstract nouns from adjectives and meaning "condition or quality of being ______," from Middle English -ite, from Old French -ete (Modern French -ité) and directly from Latin -itatem (nominative -itas), suffix denoting state or condition, composed of -i- (from the stem or else a connective) + the common abstract suffix -tas (see -ty (2)).

Roughly, the word in -ity usually means the quality of being what the adjective describes, or concretely an instance of the quality, or collectively all the instances; & the word in -ism means the disposition, or collectively all those who feel it. [Fowler]
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    honesty
    honorable position; propriety of behavior, good manners; virginity, chastity" (late 14c.), from Old French oneste, honesté "respectability...
    matron
    late 14c., matrone, "married woman," usually one of rank or social respectability and mature years (old enough to be the...
    hinder
    hinderhede, literally "hinder-hood; posterity in time, inferiority in rank;" and hinderling "person fallen from moral or social respectability...
    cant
    Slang boasts a quasi-respectability denied to Cant, though Cant is frequently more enduring, its use continuing without variation...
    decency
    1560s, "appropriateness, state or quality of being fit or suitable," from Latin decentia "comeliness, decency," from decentem "becoming, fitting," present participle of decere "to be fitting or suitable," from PIE *deke-, from root *dek- "to take, accept." Meaning "modesty, freed
    rhythm
     16c. spelling variant or attempted classical correction of Middle English rime "measure, meter, rhythm," also "agreement in end-sounds of words or metrical lines, rhyme; a rhyming poem" (12c.), from Old French rime "verse," from Latin rhythmus "movement in time," from Greek
    digital
    mid-15c., "pertaining to numbers below ten;" 1650s, "pertaining to fingers," from Latin digitalis, from digitus "finger or toe" (see digit). The numerical sense is because numerals under 10 were counted on fingers. Meaning "using numerical digits" is from 1938, especially of comp
    Mary
    fem. proper name, Old English Maria, Marie, name of the mother of Jesus, from Latin Maria, from Greek Mariam, Maria, from Aramaic Maryam, from Hebrew Miryam, name of the sister of Moses (Exodus xv), a word of unknown origin, said to mean literally "rebellion." The nursery rhyme "
    graffiti
    1851, "ancient wall inscriptions found in the ruins of Pompeii," from Italian graffiti, plural of graffito "a scribbling," a diminutive formation from graffio "a scratch or scribble," from graffiare "to scribble," ultimately from Greek graphein "to scratch, draw, write" (see -gra
    capacity
    early 15c., capacite, "ability to contain; size, extent;" also "ability" in a legal, moral, or intellectual sense, from Old French capacité "ability to hold" (15c.), from Latin capacitatem (nominative capacitas) "breadth, capacity, capability of holding much," noun of state from

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