noblesse oblige

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 25, 2020 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>noblesse oblige</strong> &#149; \noh-BLESS-uh-BLEEZH\&nbsp; &#149; <em>noun</em><br /> <p><strong>:</strong> the obligation of honorable, generous, and responsible behavior associated with high rank or birth</p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"Like many independent schools, Shipley cultivates a sense of <em>noblesse oblige</em> among its students—the notion that part of being educated in a privileged environment requires scholars to give back." — <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/fortnite-gaming-charity-coronavirus-shipley-school-students-20200520.html">Alfred Lubrano, <em>The Philadelphia Inquirer</em>, 20 May 2020</a></p> <p>"And, unlike the goal of simply becoming fabulously wealthy—which one could also accomplish by winning the lottery or marrying a nonroyal oil magnate—princesshood came with a sense of <em>noblesse oblige</em>. You would be doing it to inspire people. You would be your own act of charity." — <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/meghan-markle-just-flipped-the-princess-fantasy-on-its-big-crowned-head/2020/01/10/0488f598-3339-11ea-a053-dc6d944ba776_story.html">Monica Hesse, <em>The Washington Post</em>, 10 Jan. 2020</a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>In French, <em>noblesse oblige</em> means literally "nobility obligates." French speakers transformed the phrase into a noun, which English speakers picked up in the 19th century. Then, as now, <em>noblesse oblige</em> 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.</p> <br /><br /> </p> </font>