integrity
Americannoun
-
adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
- Antonyms:
- dishonesty
-
the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished.
to preserve the integrity of the empire.
-
a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition.
the integrity of a ship's hull.
noun
-
adherence to moral principles; honesty
-
the quality of being unimpaired; soundness
-
unity; wholeness
Synonym Usage
See honor.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of integrity
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English integrite, from Latin integritās; see integer, -ity
Explanation
Integrity is a personal quality of fairness that we all aspire to — unless you're a dishonest, immoral scoundrel, of course. Having integrity means doing the right thing in a reliable way. It's a personality trait that we admire, since it means a person has a moral compass that doesn't waver. It literally means having "wholeness" of character, just as an integer is a "whole number" with no fractions. Physical objects can display integrity, too — if you're going over a rickety old bridge that sways in the wind, you might question its structural integrity.
Vocabulary lists containing integrity
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
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Beowulf: A New Telling
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This Week in Words: August 25 - 31, 2018
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The factors that wear down a pipe’s structural integrity include soil compaction and water table variables, Soibelman said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
They don’t care about the integrity of their product, or the art of television and filmmaking.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
Paying tribute, Naughtie praised Stourton's "great integrity and humanity", adding that he "had a kind of infectious decency which lifted people up".
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Such a system could help scientists evaluate tissue integrity before major structural damage becomes irreversible.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
“Just before he died, I promised Jim that, in his absence, I would do everything I could to protect the spirit and integrity of his contest. That’s why I’m here.”
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
“There is no information to hide; there are institutional integrities to preserve,” they wrote.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 17, 2019
And forthright includes those intellectual and moral integrities which are essential to the maintenance of our republic.
From Time Magazine Archive
Conscious of their several responsibilities, and in the light of their various integrities, they wrote carefully and in low key.
From Time Magazine Archive
Men bring together a few generosities and integrities.
From A Man's Value to Society Studies in Self Culture and Character by Hillis, Newell Dwight
This tale has held a place in literature because it stands for men of evil all compact, whose presence has consumed integrities and exhaled iniquities.
From The Investment of Influence A Study of Social Sympathy and Service by Hillis, Newell Dwight
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
