Nobility
Etymology
From Latin "nobilitas," from "nobilis" (well-known, famous, of high rank), which derives from "noscere" (to know) — the surprising root is that "noble" first meant "knowable" or "notable." The wellborn were literally the known families, and from that fame came rank, and from expectations of rank came the moral sense of nobility of character.
noun · /noh-BIL-uh-tee/
Elevation of character — magnanimity and moral excellence — or, in the older sense, high birth and rank.
What it names
Use it for greatness of soul that rises above the petty, the self-interested, and the mean.
Example
There was a nobility in how she forgave the betrayal without ever mentioning it again.
Related idea
Magnanimity — literally "great-souledness" — is the specific noble trait of rising above slights and giving generously; nobility is the broader elevation of character of which magnanimity is one expression. Both describe a bigness that pettiness cannot touch.
See also