integrity
Americannoun
-
integrities
plural
-
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:
This, of course, has its own nuances — a case-by-case basis depending on the severity of the artist’s wrongdoings — but being a functional adult means learning to measure your own integrity.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026
It’s a very delicate balance here because this whole system works by respecting the integrity of the deliberations and the process.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026
In a statement, Narayen called Chakravarthy “an experienced transformational leader who leads with values, integrity and a deep knowledge of our business.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
A Strathclyde Police Standard Operating Procedures handbook for 2006 states: "The force should not recruit people with cautions or convictions, which may call into question the integrity of the applicant or the force."
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
My friends could have gotten in had they compromised themselves, but unlike me, some people had integrity.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
“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 Newell Dwight Hillis
The well-born child seems to be such a vase, unspeakably beautiful, filled with knowledges and integrities more precious than gold and pearls.
From A Man's Value to Society Studies in Self Culture and Character by Newell Dwight Hillis
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.
