honours of war: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Historical, Literary
Quick answer
What does “honours of war” mean?
Privileges granted to a capitulating force, allowing them to depart with dignity, typically including the right to march out with colours flying, drums beating, and bearing arms.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Privileges granted to a capitulating force, allowing them to depart with dignity, typically including the right to march out with colours flying, drums beating, and bearing arms.
Any gesture or concession made in defeat that acknowledges the opponent's dignity or valor; symbolic concessions granted to a losing side to save face.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The spelling 'honours' (UK) vs. 'honors' (US). Concept is equally understood but more likely to appear in UK historical texts due to British military tradition.
Connotations
Both associate it with historical, chivalric warfare. No significant connotative difference.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both, but marginally more likely in UK English in historical discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “honours of war” in a Sentence
[Subject: Victor] grant/gave/accorded [Object: Honours of war] to [Recipient: Defeated force].[Recipient: Defeated force] surrendered/retreated with the honours of war.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “honours of war” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The general was honours of war.
American English
- The garrison was honors of war.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Metaphorically: 'After the takeover, the departing CEO was given the honours of war, with a generous farewell package and public praise.'
Academic
Used in historical analyses of siege warfare and military conventions of the 17th-19th centuries.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
Specific term in military history for a set of surrender terms defined by the Laws of War (e.g., in the Geneva Conventions' historical precursors).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “honours of war”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “honours of war”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “honours of war”
- Using 'honour of war' (singular).
- Using it to mean 'the glory of winning a war'.
- Confusing it with a medal or award for bravery.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It is exclusively about the formal, dignified terms offered to the *losing* side during a surrender.
Only metaphorically, to describe face-saving concessions given to a defeated party in a negotiation or corporate takeover. Its primary use remains historical.
It refers to a set of specific privileges (marching with colours, drums, arms), hence the plural form. The singular 'honour' would refer to abstract integrity, not the concrete terms.
The British granting the honours of war to the French at the Siege of Yorktown (1781) is a well-known, though debated, historical instance.
Privileges granted to a capitulating force, allowing them to depart with dignity, typically including the right to march out with colours flying, drums beating, and bearing arms.
Honours of war is usually formal, historical, literary in register.
Honours of war: in British English it is pronounced /ˈɒnəz əv wɔː/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈɑːnərz əv wɔːr/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a knight laying down his sword but being allowed to keep his banner (honours) as he leaves the field of war.
Conceptual Metaphor
DEFEAT IS A NEGOTIATED DEPARTURE; DIGNITY IS A TANGIBLE PRIZE.
Practice
Quiz
What does 'honours of war' specifically refer to?