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:
In a statement on Wednesday, TWG said it “stands firmly behind the integrity of its business” and that its insurance companies invested in “real assets that are performing well.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 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
Brittin also spoke about the BBC's need to "defend its integrity" as it challenges Donald Trump's defamation case.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
“TWG stands firmly behind the integrity of its business,” the statement read.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Beowulf had made the best of all he had, putting each imperfection to work in the service of his integrity.
From "Beowulf: A New Telling" by Robert Nye
“There is no information to hide; there are institutional integrities to preserve,” they wrote.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 17, 2019
Conscious of their several responsibilities, and in the light of their various integrities, they wrote carefully and in low key.
From Time Magazine Archive
And forthright includes those intellectual and moral integrities which are essential to the maintenance of our republic.
From Time Magazine Archive
All the lower virtues and integrities spring from its desires.
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.
