Your Honor is the traditional way to address a judge. It is used as a sign of respect. The honorific typically appears in court proceedings.
The term is sometimes controversial, as some see it as a title of “nobility” that places them above the general public.
See the use of the Your Honor by Mr. Matthews and Ms. Hupp in Uttecht v. Brown.
[Last updated in August of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team]