Hon.
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Honorable |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Writing & Everyday |
Hon. has two meanings. It stands for Honorable (title and honorific) or Honorary (title and honorific).
Meanings of Hon. at a glance
| # | Hon. stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honorable | Writing & Everyday › Title and Honorific |
| 2 | Honorary | Writing & Everyday › Title and Honorific |
1. Honorable
Writing & Everyday · Title and Honorific Abbreviations
Honorific placed before the names of judges, members of Congress, governors, mayors, ambassadors and other officials, chiefly in formal correspondence and on envelopes. It is normally preceded by "the," as in the Hon. Jane Doe.
Example: The invitation was addressed to the Hon. Maria Delgado, Judge of the Superior Court.
In US protocol "The Honorable" is a courtesy that officials keep for life, but it is used by others when addressing them, never by people describing themselves. The British spelling is "Honourable," the style of the children of viscounts and barons, the younger sons of earls and certain judges. The Rt. Hon. style is a separate, higher form.
2. Honorary
Writing & Everyday · Title and Honorific Abbreviations
Marks a position held without pay, or an honor given without the usual requirements, such as an honorary degree, membership or office. It is common in club, charity and university documents, especially in Britain.
Example: Letters should be sent to the Hon. Secretary, Riverside Rowing Club, at the address below.
British voluntary organizations commonly elect an Hon. Secretary and Hon. Treasurer, unpaid officers who run the club's business. Universities award honorary degrees written as Hon. D.Litt. or LLD (Hon.), and academic etiquette holds that an honorary doctorate does not entitle the holder to call themselves Dr. Context separates this sense from Hon. meaning Honorable.