soundness

American  

[sound-nis] / ˈsaʊnd nɪs /

noun

1. freedom from injury, damage, defect, disease, etc.; health or good condition.

   Homebuyers should engage a professional home inspector to check the property's safety and soundness.

2. the fact or quality of being financially strong, secure, or reliable.

   Over the next few months, more reports began to surface that put the soundness of his investments into question.

3. the fact or quality of being well-informed or well-founded, sensible, valid, etc..

   My criticisms were about soundness of judgment, not about his intelligence or integrity.

4. (of sleep) the fact or quality of being uninterrupted and deep.

   Caffeine altered participants’ estimates of the time it took to fall asleep as well as the soundness of sleep.

5. freedom from moral weakness or defect.

   Integrity is soundness of character—being honest and reliable, and true to yourself in matters of conscience.

6. freedom from theological error.

   Persons are received into the assembly based on adequate testimony to their conversion, soundness of doctrine, and holiness of life.

7. the fact or quality of being vigorous, thorough, or severe.

   The 21–10 score does not accurately measure the soundness of the beating Ohio State administered to the Spartans.

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Etymology

Origin of soundness

sound ² ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

Supervising banks for reputational risk also diverts “resources from more salient risks without adding material value from a safety and soundness perspective or ensuring greater compliance with the law,” they add.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

An appraiser approved by the federal government must conduct an appraisal to assess the property’s market value and make a minor inspection for safety and soundness before the agency can approve the loan.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 12, 2025

And there’s a fundamental soundness to the market that belies concerns of a bubble in its AI-powering engine as well.

From Barron's • Nov. 4, 2025

I can’t fault the strategic soundness of Blue Jays manager John Schneider’s decision to intentionally walk the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani four consecutive times during Game 3 of the World Series.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2025

She paused and nodded—as if testing and confirming the soundness of her own words—then continued.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

Related Words

• correctness
• durability
• integrity
• solidity
• solvency