point of honour
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An obligation which is binding because its violation would offend some conscientious scruple or notion of self- respect.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “point of honour” mean?
An obligation which is binding because its violation would offend some conscientious scruple or notion of self- respect.
Is “point of honour” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.