The section of many universities and high schools reserved for those with high grades or other measures of academic ability. The idea is to challenge the people who are capable of more learning without forcing the rest of the students to do work beyond their level. Some programs live up to this reason for existence; others are just a way to set apart the supposed smart kids from the rest, causing bitterness in those whose test scores were not quite good enough to get in and accusations of snobishness from many of those outside. Some honors programs are probably both good and bad.