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What does the Latin root of "integrity" mean?

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integrity

American  

[in-teg-ri-tee] / ɪnˈtɛg rɪ ti /

noun

• integrities
  plural

1. 

   adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

   Synonyms:

   virtue, probity, rectitude

   Antonyms:

   dishonesty

2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished.

   to preserve the integrity of the empire.

3. a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition.

   the integrity of a ship's hull.

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integrity British  

/ ɪnˈtɛɡrɪtɪ /

noun

1. adherence to moral principles; honesty

2. the quality of being unimpaired; soundness

3. unity; wholeness

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Synonym Usage

See honor.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• integrities
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

integrity integrities

Their average lifespan increased by 43.39%, and the treatment also helped preserve neurological function and intestinal integrity in older worms.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 25, 2026

Oceanside is withholding the exact location where the fossils were found due to public safety concerns and to preserve the site’s integrity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

The agreement rules that out, emphasizing Danish sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as Greenlandic right to self-determination.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

Station manager Lawrence Pater said the "very severe" fire had raised concerns about the structural integrity of the building and that the fire service was seeking advice from inspectors.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

But he also didn’t want to have to keep proving his integrity to Luke.

From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss

“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

There were, behind this vision of the symbol by which God made Himself manifest to man, reserves of strict integrities.

From Old Crow by Alice Brown

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 Newell Dwight Hillis

Related Words

• honesty
• principle
• probity
• purity
• rectitude
• sincerity
• virtue