upstanding
Americanadjective
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upright; honorable; straightforward.
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of a fine, vigorous type.
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erect; erect and tall.
adjective
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of good character
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upright and vigorous in build
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(in a court of law) a direction to all persons present to rise to their feet before the judge enters or leaves the court
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(at a formal dinner) a direction to all persons present to rise to their feet for a toast
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Other Word Forms
- upstandingness noun
Etymology
Origin of upstanding
before 1000; Middle English; Old English upstandende; up-, stand, -ing 2
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.
Jim Bob Duggar attempted a political comeback in 2021 when he ran for a vacated seat in the Arkansas state Senate, leaning on what he believed was his reputation as an upstanding family man.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
Local leaders and families are ordered to identify those they recognise as upstanding citizens.
From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026
As is the case in these mysteries, the upstanding citizens are propped up by a whole lot of lowlifes, but few as fearsome as Scott Shepherd’s chilly construction manager, Allen Murphy.
From Salon • Sep. 23, 2025
On the surface, Muhammed Asif Hafeez was an upstanding individual.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2025
“I know some upstanding people who’ve lived down worse than that. I’m not going to tell you which ones, though.”
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
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.
