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Synonyms

high-minded

American  
[hahy-mahyn-did] / ˈhaɪˈmaɪn dɪd /

adjective

  1. having or showing high, exalted principles or feelings.

    Synonyms:
    scrupulous, idealistic, ethical, fair, honest, principled

high-minded British  

adjective

  1. having or characterized by high moral principles

  2. archaic arrogant; haughty

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See noble.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of high-minded

First recorded in 1495–1505

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:

That dynamic may partly account for why other high-minded millennial businesses haven’t fared well.

From MarketWatch May 19, 2026

I want to be very high-minded about this.

From Slate Nov. 4, 2025

While the work of their Attic cousins is celebrated for being high-minded and idealistic—all those ripped bodies, gods and goddesses—theirs, with its focus on everyday individuals and events, can be seen as prosaic.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 22, 2025

It threatens to drown out their own more high-minded projects.

From BBC Oct. 11, 2025

But she was upset, and made even more so by Odenigbo’s expression, as if he could not believe she was not quite as high-minded as he had thought.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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