integrity means steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.
integrity is pronounced /ɪnˈtɛɡɹəti/.
Why “integrity” is a great word
The quality of being whole, undivided, and in unbroken adherence to a moral code. From the Latin integritās ('soundness, wholeness'), from integer ('whole, untouched'), borrowed into English from Middle French intégrité in the early 15th century. Unlike honesty, which denotes truthfulness in speech, or virtue, which signifies a singular moral excellence, integrity is the structural soundness of the entire edifice. It is the silent refusal of a single brick to crumble under pressure, the unshaken hand returning a wallet thick with cash, and the spine held straight in silence when every wind urges compromise—the quiet warmth of a self that remains, at its core, unbreached.
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French intégrité, from Latin integritās (“soundness, integrity”), from integer. Doublet of entirety.
noun
- Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.e.g.“Stand up, good Canterbury: Thy truth and thy integrity is rooted […]”
- The state of being wholesome; unimpaired
- The quality or condition of being complete; pure
- With regards to data encryption, ensuring that information is not altered by unauthorized persons in a way that is not detectable by authorized users.
- The ability of systems to provide timely warnings to users when they should not be used for navigation.
- Trustworthiness; keeping one's word.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- probity 90% match — Integrity, especially of the quality of having strong moral principles; decency and honesty. vs integrity →
- incorruptible 88% match — Incapable of being bribed or morally corrupted; inflexibly just and upright. vs integrity →
- rectitude 87% match — Straightness; the state or quality of having a constant direction and not being crooked or bent. vs integrity →
- sincerity 86% match — The quality or state of being sincere. vs integrity →
- fidelity 86% match — Faithfulness to one's moral or civic duties. vs integrity →
- inviolate 86% match — Not violated; free from violation or hurt of any kind; secure against violation or impairment. vs integrity →
- virtue 86% match — (uncountable) The idea of all that is good or excellent (in every sense of those terms) in a human being, collectively instantiated by a varying number of human traits known as "the virtues", the enumeration of which vary by the many virtue systems which have developed within different cultures, religions, and historical periods. vs integrity →
- sanctity 85% match — Holiness of life or disposition; saintliness vs integrity →