noblesse oblige

noblesse o·blige  (-blzh)

n.

Benevolent, honorable behavior considered to be the responsibility of persons of high birth or rank.

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[French, nobility is an obligation : noblesse, nobility + oblige, third person sing. present tense of obliger, to obligate.]

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noblesse oblige [no-bless oh-bleezh]

Noun

Often ironic the supposed obligation of the nobility to be honourable and generous [French, lit: nobility obliges]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

noblesse oblige - the obligation of those of high rank to be honorable and generous (often used ironically) duty, obligation, responsibility - the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force; "we must instill a sense of duty in our children"; "every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty"- John D.Rockefeller Jr French - the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France