worshipful, a. (n., adv.)
(ˈwɜːʃɪpfʊl)
Forms: α. 4 worþssipuol; 4 worshup-, 4–5 worschip-, worschep- (4 worsship-), 5 worchip-, 4– worship-, 5–6 worshypful, Sc. wourschip-, 6 woorshipfull, etc. β. 5 wurschip-, -chep-, 5–6 -shipful(l. γ. 5 wir-, wyrship-, etc.
[f. worship n.]
1. Of things: Notable or outstanding in respect of some (good) quality or property; distinguished, imposing; reputable, honourable. Now arch.
| a 1300 E.E. Psalter lxxi. 14 Worschepfulle [L. præclarum] þe name of þa Bifore hime it sal be swa. 1340 Ayenb. 80 Vor uirtue is þing wel worþssipuol, lostuol and uremuol. 1357 Lay-Folks Mass-Bk. App. ii. 119, I beleve that the moost worshipful sacrament of the auter is Crystis body in fourme of bred. 1388 Wyclif Gen. xxviii. 17 Hou worschipful [L. terribilis] is this place! 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xiv. xliv. (Tollem. MS.) With his comynge þerto oure Lorde made þis Mountt [Tabor] worschipful [L. commendabilem]. c 1450 Merlin v. 85 He..seide that so high and wurschipful a-mendes dide neuer a lorde to his man. c 1450 Lovelich Merlin 6815 In the most worschepful and reverent gyse they hym beryeden as they cowde devyse. 1479 York Memo. Bk. (Surtees) I. 171 The mare of this said wirshupfull cite for time beyng. 1508 Fisher 7 Penit. Ps. cii. Wks. (1876) 189 He shall gyue vs power to preche.., whiche shall be a very worshypfull offyce. 1560 Pilkington Expos. Aggeus (1562) 182 They shall finde mo worshipfull names geven to the preachinge minister, then to any one sorte of men. 1575 Laneham Lett. (1871) 1, I am placed at Coourt heer (as yee wot) in a woorshipfull room. 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. 175 When this right worshipful title [of knighthood] was by the Prince conferred upon one. a 1661 Fuller Worthies, Suff. (1662) 65 His Posterity still flourish in a Worshipful equipage at Nacton. 1687 Reflect. on Hind & Panther 34 No Romance can furnish us with such pleasant and worshipful Tales. 1826 Scott Woodst. ii, Will he give us the remains of his worshipful and economical house-keeping? 1871 Freeman Norm. Conq. xxi. IV. 626 Whether standing or sitting, his look was worshipful and kingly. 1876 Geo. Eliot Dan. Der. xxxvii, Isn't that better than painting a piece of staring immodesty and calling it by a worshipful name? |
| absol. a 1871 Grote Eth. Fragm. v. (1876) 176 Aristotle distributes good things into three classes—the admirable or worshipful [τὰ τίµια]—the praiseworthy—the potential. |
2. Of persons: Distinguished in respect of character or rank; entitled to honour or respect on this account. Now
arch.| a 1340 Hampole Psalter xxviii. 4 Konynge that makis men worschipful. 1357 Lay Folks' Catech. (T.) 205 Ilk man that worshipfull is. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 182 And ek so worschipful a wif, The doughter of an Emperour, To wedde it schal be gret honour. c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 3147 A worshipfulle woman in þat contre þo dwelt. 1450–80 tr. Secreta Secret. lviii. 34 Þus shalt thou be holden wijs and worshipfulle for thi governance. 1470–85 Malory Arthur x. viii. 425 Syr Tristram that is the worshipfullest knyght that now is lyuynge. Ibid. xvi. iii. 668 Of a moche more worshypfuller mans hand myghte I not dye. c 1530 Prov. in Pol., Rel. & L. Poems (1903) 58 A nobyll and a wurshipfull hert nevyr askyth of womens dedys. 1555 Eden Decades (Arb.) 272 Wyse & woorshypful men experte in nauigations. 1579 W. Wilkinson Confut. Fam. Love To Rdr. ☛ i b, The answere..beyng intercepted by my worshypfull frend, came not into my handes. 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. 199 Small townlets..which have given surnames to ancient and worshipfull families. 1632 Lithgow Trav. ix. 396, I encountered with a Worshipfull English Gentleman Mr. Stydolffe Esquier of his Maiesties body. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. ix. 197 Edwin Sands, Arch-Bishop of Yorke, born in Lancashire of worshipfull Parentage. 1819 Miss Mitford in L'Estrange Life II. 52 Oh! what a delicious painter of mind and body is that worshipful Master Aubrey! 1845 Carlyle Cromwell Let. ccxvii. (1871) IV. 239 If not the noblest and worshipfulest of all Englishmen, at least the strongest and terriblest. |
† b. Applied to Bede,
= venerable a. 1.
Obs.| 14.. ? Lydg. Assembly of Gods 1583 Behynde all these was worshipfull Beede. c 1450 Compend. Olde Treat. (Arb.) 175 Worshupfull Bede in his first booke telleth [etc.]. 1483 Caxton Golden Leg. 411/1 He is not called of holy chyrche Saynt bede but worshypful bede. |
3. a. As an honorific title for persons or bodies of distinguished rank or importance: formerly used very widely, but now restricted to the livery companies and freemasons' lodges and their masters.
right worshipful is applied to mayors.
| 1398 Test. Ebor. (Surtees) III. 316 Y..by for yow hier, worshepful fader in God, and lord, Richard, by the grace of God erche bysshop of York,..make avowe [etc.]. 1405 Rolls of Parlt. III. 605/1 To comune..with the Wyrshipfull Prince Robert the King of Scotland, and his Conseil. 1426 in Surtees Misc. (1890) 10 Vnto his wirshipfull Mair,..and all þe wirshipfull Counsell of þe cite of York. 1473 Rolls of Parlt. VI. 79/1 The fundation of that worshipfull Fader William Wykeham, sumtyme Bisshop of Wynchestre. 1578 T. Nicholas tr. Cortes' Conq. W. India (1596) Ep. Ded., Whilest I abode..in the Isle of Palma, in affaires of merchandize for the worshipfull Thomas Lock deceased. 1605 Camden Rem. Ded. 1 To the Right Worshipfvll, Worthy and Learned Sir Robert Cotton. 1615 R. Cocks Diary (Hakl. Soc.) I. 48 The Worshipfull Companys letters. 1639 J. Taylor (Water P.) Part Summers Trav. 20 The right worthy worshipfull Knight Sir Paul Neale. 1641 W. S. More's Edw. V Ded., To the Right Worshipfull Sir Iohn Lenthall Knight. 1720 A. Petrie Rules Deportm. (1877) 79 The Manner of directing of your Letters... To the Right Worshipful Lady M.S... To the Worshipful Lady A.S. 1732 Pope Hor. Satires ii. ii. 75 How pale, each Worshipful and Rev'rend guest Rise from a Clergy, or a City feast! 1756 C. Lucas Ess. Waters III. 286, I thanked..his worshipful brethren of the Council. 1768 Complete Letter-Writer (ed. 12) 46 To the Master and Wardens of the Worshipful Company of Mercers. 1848 Dickens Dombey lvii, A dusty old beadle..who has something to do with a Worshipful Company who have got a Hall in the next yard. 1849 James Woodman ii, Sir Charles Weinants, a right worshipful gentleman also. 1876 Law Rep. 2 Probate Div. 382 A certain Cause now pending in our Consistory Court, before the Worshipful Thomas Hutchinson Tristram,..our Vicar General. |
b. Used in forms of address, as
worshipful sir,
(right) worshipful master, etc.
| 1425 Paston Lett. I. 19 Right worthy and worshepefull Sir, I recommaunde me to yow, [etc.]. 1440 Corr. etc. Coldingham Priory (Surtees) 114 Wirshipfull sir I comend me to ȝowe. c 1440 Marg. Paston in P. Lett. I. 42 Ryth reverent and worsepful husbon. c 1455 Bekynton Corr. (Rolls) II. 342 [To Henry, Duke of Somerset, begins] High mighti Prince and my right worshipful and good lord. 1473 Paston Lett. Suppl. (1901) 144 Ryght wyrshypfull and my ryght tendre modre, I recommaunde me to yow. 1542 Udall in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden) 2 Right worshipfull and my singlar good Maister. a 1592 Greene Alcida (1617) Ded. A 3, To the Right Worshipfull, Sir Charles Blount, Knight. Ibid., So (right worshipfull) after your returne from the Low Countries, [etc.]. 1681 Otway Soldier's Fort. iii. i, Her Ladyship, Right-worshipful, is pleas'd not to be at home. 1768 Complete Letter-Writer (ed. 12) 48 Justices of the Peace, and Mayors, are stiled Right Worshipful. 1818 Scott Rob Roy ix, ‘Thanks, most worshipful,’ returned Miss Vernon. 1843 Lytton Last Bar. i. i, It shall not be my fault if I do not, though but a humble headman to your worshipful Mastership, help to make them so. 1861 Dict. Daily Wants s.v. Addresses, The Mayors of all Corporations, with the Sheriffs, Aldermen, and Recorder of London, are styled Right Worshipful; and the Aldermen and Recorder of other Corporations, as well as Justices of the Peace, Worshipful. 1906 Complete Letter-writer 21 A Mayor is addressed as The Worshipful the Mayor of—; in a few cities as ‘Right Worshipful’. |
c. absol. (chiefly
pl.) or as
n. In later use
spec. a magistrate.
| c 1450 MS. Trin. Coll. Camb. R. 3. 19 lf. 170 b, Worshipfull and dyscrete that here present be, I wyll you tell a tale, two or thre. c 1460 J. Russell Bk. Nurture 655 Þan durst y do my devoire with any worshipfulle to be wonnynge. 1536 in Lett. Suppress. Monasteries (Camden) 129 As by the reporte of dyvers worshyppfulles..yt ys to us openly declared. 1565 Child-Marriages (1897) 49 As he hard it reportid by diuerse worshipfull and others. 1579 W. Wilkinson Confut. Fam. Love 30 b, Hauyng..deceiued some Justices of Peace, and other worshypfull of countrey, where they dwel. 1595 Churchw. Acc. St. Marg. Westm. (Nichols 1797) 24 When the worshipfull of the parish..went the perambulacion to Kensington. 1806 Spirit Publ. Jrnls. X. 213 Anon the day of trial comes, The Worshipfuls were on their bums, And all the court in solemn silence sat. |
† 4. Showing or bringing honour or distinction
to a person; reputable or honourable
for one.
Obs.| c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 14 And ȝif þei seyn þat grete chirchis ben worschipful to god [etc.]. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 46 Þer is no þing more worschipful to a leche..þan to kepe a lyme woundid fro swellynge. 1455 Rolls of Parlt. V. 325/1 Craftes which be convenient, wurshipfull and accordyng for Gentil wymmen, and oþer wymmen of wurship. ? 1472 Paston Lett. Suppl. (1901) 143 That shuld not be wurchepfull for you; for men shull not than set be you. 1474 Caxton Chesse ii. v. (1883) 63 For he had oppynyon that hit was as worshipfull and fittynge to a kynge to pardone as to punysshe. |
5. Imbued with the spirit of worship or veneration.
| 1809 W. Taylor in Robberds Mem. II. 274, I should have been more humble, panegyrical, worshipful. 1840 Tait's Mag. VII. 3 The Whigs..are more worshipful of that perfection of wisdom, the glorious British constitution. a 1861 T. Woolner My Beautiful Lady, Night ix, Or kneels she worshipful beside her bed. 1891 Hardy Tess xxxi, He would sometimes catch her large, worshipful eyes..looking at him from their depths. |
6. Deserving or capable of being worshipped; worshipable.
| 1872 Browning Fifine xxxii, Obey Implicitly, nor pause to question, to survey Even the worshipful! 1901 Athenæum 19 Jan. 72/3 The theory of transmigration of ancestral souls into worshipful plants and animals. |
† 7. adv. = next.
Obs. rare.
| 1470 Paston Lett. Suppl. (1901) 135 It is a fowle slaunder that he was so wurchepful beried..and so litill do for hym sithen. |