To every lord every honour.
To every lord every honour.
Meaning in plain English
Give people the recognition appropriate to their position or contribution. The historical language describes rank, while a modern reading can ask whether acknowledgement is accurate, respectful and fairly assigned.
Example
A project presentation thanks the organiser, the volunteers who completed the work and the people who supplied materials. The most senior attendee is welcomed without being credited for everyone else’s contribution.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The lord in the source represents a person with an established claim to honour. The phrase can therefore express a convention about status, but it can also raise a practical question about whom to acknowledge. At a shared event, suitable recognition should reflect what people actually did rather than simply who has the most authority. The saying’s compact form does not decide how much deference is deserved or whether a hierarchy is justified. Respectful acknowledgement can coexist with disagreement, accountability and the correction of misplaced credit.
When to use it
Use it when deciding how to acknowledge a role or contribution without confusing it with all the work.
Keep in mind
Historical rank does not establish greater human worth. Recognition should not conceal others’ contributions or make an authority immune from criticism.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857)
Printed page 6; French section, paragraph 112; source wording: A tout seigneur tout honneur.
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗
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