释义 |
commendable, a. (and n.)|kəˈmɛndəb(ə)l| [a. OF. commendable, ad. L. commendābil-is praiseworthy, f. commendāre: see commend and -able. The French derivation gave the earlier accentuation, commenˈdable, ˈcommendable, the latter still, with an uncertain exception, used by Shakespeare. Dr. Johnson noted this as obsolete, and coˈmmendable, although considered by Walker ‘vulgar’, is now prevalent.] A. adj. 1. Proper to be commended, deserving of commendation or approval, praiseworthy, laudable.
c1386Chaucer Melib. ⁋894 No thing so comendable in a gret lord, as whan he is debonaire. 1388Wyclif Ecclus. xlii. 8 Thou schalt be comendable in the siȝt of alle men. c1400Beryn 255 Ne myrth is nat commendabill, that ay is by o syde. 1509Hawes Past. Pleas. xviii. xxix, Your great deceyte is nothing commendable. 1596Shakes. Merch. V. i. i. 110 Silence is onely commendable In a neats tongue dri'd, and a maid not vendible. 1610J. Guillim Heraldry iii. xii. (1611) 123 To set them forth in their commendablest fashion. 1729Butler Serm. Wks. 1874 II. 71 Liberality and bounty are exceedingly commendable. 1870Daily News 7 Oct., Applying the Act with most commendable zeal. †2. Commendatory. Obs.
1576Fleming Panoplie Ep. 45 This hope..that your opinion concerning his person, and behaviour, would be no lesse commendable then oures. Ibid. 360, I mistrust not..but that, without our commendable certificate, hee is like enoughe to please. [Cf. 1607 Shakes. Cor. iv. vii. 51.] †B. as n. A commendable thing or quality.
1654Whitlock Zootomia 340 All the Commendables in Politicke Government. 1677Hale Prim. Orig. Man. i. i. 25 Touching the third Commendable in the search of our selves, namely, Certainty and Evidence. |