a. [a. OF. commendable, ad. L. commendābil-is praiseworthy, f. commendāre: see COMMEND and -ABLE. The French derivation gave the earlier accentuation, commenda·ble, co·mmendable, the latter still, with an uncertain exception, used by Shakespeare. Dr. Johnson noted this as obsolete, and comme·ndable, although considered by Walker ‘vulgar,’ is now prevalent.)
1. Proper to be commended, deserving of commendation or approval, praiseworthy, laudable.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Melib., ¶ 894. No thing so comendable in a gret lord, as whan he is debonaire.
1388. Wyclif, Ecclus. xlii. 8. Thou schalt be comendable in the siȝt of alle men.
c. 1400. Beryn, 255. Ne myrth is nat commendabill, that ay is by o syde.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XVIII. xxix. Your great deceyte is nothing commendable.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., I. i. 110. Silence is onely commendable in a neats tongue dri’d, and a maid not vendible.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, III. xii. (1611), 123. To set them forth in their commendablest fashion.
1729. Butler, Serm., Wks. 1874, II. 71. Liberality and bounty are exceedingly commendable.
1870. Daily News, 7 Oct. Applying the Act with most commendable zeal.
† 2. Commendatory. Obs.
1576. Fleming, Panoplie Ep., 45. This hope … that your opinion concerning his person, and behaviour, would be no lesse commendable then oures. Ibid., 360. I mistrust not … but that, without our commendable certificate, hee is like enoughe to please. [Cf. 1607. Shaks., Cor., IV. vii. 51.]
† B. as sb. A commendable thing or quality.
1654. R. Whitlock, Ζωοτομια, 340. All the Commendables in Politicke Government.
1677. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man. I. i. 25. Touching the third Commendable in the search of our selves, namely, Certainty and Evidence.
