The Honourable
The Honourable (Commonwealth English) or The Honorable (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: Hon., Hon'ble, or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain people, usually with official governmental or diplomatic positions.
"Honourable" and "Hon." redirect here. For other uses, see Honour and Hon (disambiguation).Use by governments[edit]
International diplomacy[edit]
In international diplomatic relations, representatives of foreign states are often styled as The Honourable. Deputy chiefs of mission, chargés d'affaires, consuls-general and consuls are always given the style. All heads of consular posts, whether they are honorary or career postholders, are accorded the style according to the State Department of the United States.[1] However, the style Excellency instead of The Honourable is used for ambassadors and high commissioners.
Non-governmental use[edit]
Private, non-profit, and non-governmental (NGO) organisations, and religious movements sometimes style a leader or founder as The Honourable, e.g. The Honourable Elijah Muhammad.