noblesse oblige
noun
no·blesse oblige nō-ˈbles-ə-ˈblēzh 
: the obligation of honorable, generous, and responsible behavior associated with high rank or birth
Did you know?
Noblesse Oblige Has French Origins
In French, noblesse oblige means literally "nobility obligates." French speakers transformed the phrase into a noun, which English speakers picked up in the 19th century. Then, as now, noblesse oblige referred to the unwritten obligation of people from a noble ancestry to act honorably and generously to others. Later, by extension, it also came to refer to the obligation of anyone who is in a better position than others—due, for example, to high office or celebrity—to act respectably and responsibly.
Example Sentences
He was raised to have a strong sense of noblesse oblige.
Recent Examples on the Web Though Alger indeed extols the virtues of hard work, prayer, honesty and saving, his books also hinge upon chance encounters and the noblesse oblige of someone much higher on the class ladder. 
New York Times, 5 Apr. 2022 It’s as if their presence alone is meant to satisfy some sort of writerly noblesse oblige. Downton Abbey, with its water cooler twists, brought the TV period drama into the 21st century. Judy Berman, Time, 20 Jan. 2022 Everything is up to date in this museum of video screens and touch panels except its founding principle, which is the old noblesse oblige. Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2020 His Zorro dedicates himself to the equitable treatment of every citizen and rouses his fellow caballeros to practice a democratic form of noblesse oblige. Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2021 But the old spirit of noblesse oblige was often troubled by a certain condescension, a sense that rules are for the little people. Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2020 So, his children and certain of his grandchildren became fully aware of an obligation that is characterized by the phrase noblesse oblige. Jamie Katz, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Oct. 2020 This job of noblesse oblige raises a host of uncomfortable ethical conundrums, but Peter, in typical fashion, squares them away by showing his self-awareness. Ryu Spaeth, The New Republic, 9 July 2020 Catholic social justice with a hint of noblesse oblige. New York Times, 5 May 2020 See More
New York Times, 5 Apr. 2022 It’s as if their presence alone is meant to satisfy some sort of writerly noblesse oblige. Downton Abbey, with its water cooler twists, brought the TV period drama into the 21st century. Judy Berman, Time, 20 Jan. 2022 Everything is up to date in this museum of video screens and touch panels except its founding principle, which is the old noblesse oblige. Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2020 His Zorro dedicates himself to the equitable treatment of every citizen and rouses his fellow caballeros to practice a democratic form of noblesse oblige. Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2021 But the old spirit of noblesse oblige was often troubled by a certain condescension, a sense that rules are for the little people. Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2020 So, his children and certain of his grandchildren became fully aware of an obligation that is characterized by the phrase noblesse oblige. Jamie Katz, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Oct. 2020 This job of noblesse oblige raises a host of uncomfortable ethical conundrums, but Peter, in typical fashion, squares them away by showing his self-awareness. Ryu Spaeth, The New Republic, 9 July 2020 Catholic social justice with a hint of noblesse oblige. New York Times, 5 May 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
French, literally, nobility obligates
First Known Use
1849, in the meaning defined above