First published 1891; not yet revised

commendableadjective & noun

Etymology
Meaning & use
Pronunciation
Frequency
Compounds & derived words

Quotations

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Factsheet

What does the word commendable mean?

There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the word commendable, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

See meaning & use

How common is the word commendable?

About 1occurrence per million words in modern written English

1750	5.5
1760	5.2
1770	4.4
1780	4.1
1790	3.8
1800	3.7
1810	3.5
1820	3.3
1830	3.0
1840	2.8
1850	2.6
1860	2.4
1870	2.3
1880	2.3
1890	2.3
1900	2.3
1910	2.3
1920	2.3
1930	2.1
1940	1.9
1950	1.8
1960	1.6
1970	1.5
1980	1.2
1990	1.0
2000	0.97
2010	0.96

See frequency

How is the word commendable pronounced?

British English

/kəˈmɛndəbl/

kuh-MEN-duh-buhl

U.S. English

/kəˈmɛndəb(ə)l/

kuh-MEN-duh-buhl

See pronunciation

Where does the word commendable come from?

Earliest known use

Middle English

The earliest known use of the word commendable is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).

OED's earliest evidence for commendable is from around 1386, in the writing of Geoffrey Chaucer, poet and administrator.

commendable is a borrowing from French.

Etymons: French commendable.

See etymology

Nearby entries

commence, n.1794–
commence, v.c1320–
commenceable, adj.1654–
commenced, adj.1588–
commencement, n.c1250–
commencer, n.1655–
commencing, n. & adj.1588–
commend, n.1488–1647
commend, v.a1340–
commenda, n.1598–
commendable, adj. & n.c1386–
commendableness, n.a1639–
commendably, adv.1531–
commendaces, n.1656–
commendador, n.1580–
commendam, n.1570–
commendatare, n.a1651
commendatary, adj. & n.1539–
commendate, v.1625–
commendation, n.?c1225–
commendation ninepence, n.1663

Browse more nearby entries

Etymology

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Pronunciation

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Compounds & derived words

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Entry history for commendable, adj. & n.

commendable, adj. & n. was first published in 1891; not yet revised.

commendable, adj. & n. was last modified in September 2023.

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into commendable, adj. & n. in September 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1891)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

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View commendable, a. (and n.) in OED Second Edition

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Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .

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“” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, , .

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Citation details

Factsheet for commendable, adj. & n.

Browse entry

Nearby entries

commence, n.1794–
commence, v.c1320–
commenceable, adj.1654–
commenced, adj.1588–
commencement, n.c1250–
commencer, n.1655–
commencing, n. & adj.1588–
commend, n.1488–1647
commend, v.a1340–
commenda, n.1598–
commendable, adj. & n.c1386–
commendableness, n.a1639–
commendably, adv.1531–
commendaces, n.1656–
commendador, n.1580–
commendam, n.1570–
commendatare, n.a1651
commendatary, adj. & n.1539–
commendate, v.1625–
commendation, n.?c1225–
commendation ninepence, n.1663

Browse more nearby entries