Worthy of explicit approval because an action or quality meets a meaningful standard.
Reach for it when praising conduct that deserves recognition without sounding extravagant
Publishing the failed trials alongside the successes was a commendable choice.
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal |
|
| literary |
everyday
Fits when simple approval is more natural than formal evaluation
Careful Good is too broad when you need to mark why the action merits notice.
warm
Fits when the quality inspires personal respect
Careful Admiration is stronger and more emotional than measured commendation.
professional
creditable
Fits when solid performance deserves credit
Careful Creditable often means respectable rather than genuinely excellent.
professional
Fits when the conduct should serve as a model
Careful Exemplary claims a standard others should copy, which commendable does not require.
formal
Fits when clear moral or practical approval is the whole point
Careful The term can sound ceremonious for a modest everyday kindness.
literary
Fits when elevated formal praise fits the setting
Careful Laudable can read as bureaucratic or inflated in ordinary speech.
commendable effort
The rescue was a commendable effort despite the incomplete result.
highly commendable
Her decision to correct the public record was highly commendable.
commendable restraint
The moderator showed commendable restraint when the accusation became personal.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated
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