probity
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of probity
First recorded in 1505–15; from Latin probitās “uprightness,” equivalent to prob(us) “upright” + -itās -ity
Explanation
Though probity sounds like what you might do with a sharp stick, it actually means being morally and ethically above reproach, or having integrity. If you show fiscal probity, it means you are responsible and ethical with your money. The story of George Washington chopping down the cherry tree and refusing to lie about it is a story of probity. The story was first told by a pastor, who may have made the whole thing up according to today's scholars, possibly to sell books — no act of probity.
Vocabulary lists containing probity
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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The Crucible
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The Scarlet Letter
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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.
His Othello is hounded into a betrayal of his probity and hard-earned honor not just by the villainy of Iago but by the demons of his past.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Freeman Dyson, a physicist of considerable probity, put it well to documentarian Jon Else in his film “The Day After Trinity.”
From Salon ● Dec. 7, 2025
It analyzes the forces of corruption and moral probity, capitalism and benevolence—all the rich contradictions and absurdities of the world glimpsed in Jane Austen’s novels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
Campaigning on a message of probity, Fillon never recovered.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2024
The men appeared anxious; Sip was not wholly pleased with my frankness and probity.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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.
