respectabilize

English

Alternative forms

• respectabilise (non-US spelling)

Etymology

respectable +‎ -ize

Verb

respectabilize (third-person singular simple present respectabilizes, present participle respectabilizing, simple past and past participle respectabilized)

1. (transitive) To make respectable; to give an appearance of respectability.
   • 1919, Charles Fort, chapter 11, in The Book of the Damned‎^[1]:

     There's not a notion in this book that has a more frightful, or ridiculous, mien than had the notion of human footprints in rocks, when that now respectabilized ruffian, or clown, was first heard from.

   • 1933, Gertrude Stein, chapter 5, in The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas‎^[2]:

     Uhde’s morals were not all that they should be and as his fiancée seemed a very well to do and very conventional young woman we were all surprised. But it turned out that it was an arranged marriage. Uhde wished to respectabilise himself and she wanted to come into possession of her inheritance, which she could only do upon marriage.

   • 1969, Philip Roth, Portnoy’s Complaint‎^[3], New York: Vintage, published 1994, pages 121–122:

     What do we want, me and Ronald and Leonardo? To be left alone! If only for half an hour at a time! Stop already hocking us to be good! hocking us to be nice! Just leave us alone, God damn it, to pull our little dongs in peace and think our little selfish thoughts—stop already with the respectabilizing of our hands and our tushies and our mouths!