Word.ws English Dictionary

more honored in the breach

more honored in the breach phrase: justifiably violated; endowing greater moral standing to those who disobey. (of a rule, custom, etc.).

Phrase

more honored in the breach

  1. Justifiably violated; endowing greater moral standing to those who disobey. (of a rule, custom, etc.)
  2. Frequently or usually broken in practice, with obedience being the exception. (of a rule, custom, etc.)

Origin of more honored in the breach

Coined by William Shakespeare in 1602 in "Hamlet," act 1, scene 4: : But to my mind, though I am native here : And to the manner born, it is a custom : More honored in the breach than the observance.

Questions about more honored in the breach

What does more honored in the breach mean?
More honored in the breach means justifiably violated; endowing greater moral standing to those who disobey. (of a rule, custom, etc.).
What part of speech is more honored in the breach?
More honored in the breach is a phrase.

Words near more honored in the breach in the dictionary

  1. more dollars than sense
  2. more equal
  3. more grease to your elbow
  4. more haste, less speed
  5. more heat than light
  6. more honored in the breach
  7. more important fish to fry
  8. more is more
  9. more kicks than ha'pence
  10. more life in a tramp's vest
  11. more like

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: more honored in the breach (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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