Synonyms

high-minded

American

[hahy-mahyn-did] / ˈhaɪˈmaɪn dɪd /

adjective

having or showing high, exalted principles or feelings.

Synonyms:

scrupulous, idealistic, ethical, fair, honest, principled

high-minded British

adjective

having or characterized by high moral principles
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

Related Words

See noble.

Other Word Forms

high-mindedly adverb
high-mindedness noun

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.

He was a high-minded historian and literary critic who nevertheless loved writing about rugby and cricket.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 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’s difficult to imagine a worse addition to this oil-and-water mix of high-minded nonconformist cranks and hard-toiling middle-class settlers than a capitalist sybarite.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 23, 2025

I wonder if he’d be so high-minded then!

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023