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OBE

0 antonyms and opposites of OBE, grouped by meaning.

Noun — Officer of the Order of the British Empire, an honour awarded by the British monarch for a significant contribution in a national or regional field; also the letters placed after the recipient's name.

How to use OBE

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

awarded an OBE appointed OBE OBE for services to

Always capitalised. Placed after the full name with no comma in modern British style: Jane Hall OBE.

Etymology

An initialism, chiefly of Officer of the Order of the British Empire, an order founded in 1917.

Full origin of OBE →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an OBE, an MBE and a CBE?

They are three ranks of the same order, in ascending order of seniority: MBE (Member), OBE (Officer) and CBE (Commander). Above them come the knight and dame grades, KBE and DBE, which carry the title Sir or Dame. None of the three lower ranks gives a title.

Does an OBE make you a Sir?

No. Only the two highest ranks of the order, KBE and DBE, confer Sir or Dame. An OBE simply lets you put the letters after your name and attend an investiture.

What does OBE mean in a text or an email?

In British contexts it usually still means the honour. In military, government and consulting email it often means "overcome by events" — the point has been made moot by what has happened since.

Nearby words

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Synonyms and antonyms from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.