honorific (adj./n.)

A term used in the GRAMMATICAL analysis of some LANGUAGES (e.g. Japanese) to refer to SYNTACTIC or MORPHOLOGICAL distinctions used to express LEVELS of politeness or respect, especially in relation to the compared social status of the participants. The notion should not be identified with FORMALITY: honorific forms may also appear in non-formal contexts. Some use is also made of the term with reference to functions other than the expression of respect, such as courtesy, politeness, etc.