Integrity
The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; the state of being whole, undamaged, or undivided.
nounIntegrity
The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; the state of being whole, undamaged, or undivided.
nounImagine This
Imagine a contractor who never cuts corners to protect the structural integrity of a bridge, and a student who returns a found wallet and tells the truth even when it would be easier to stay silent.
Sounds Like
in-TEG-ri-tee
Looks Like
Looks like 'integer' (same root meaning 'whole'); related to 'integral' and 'integrity' share the sense of wholeness.
Remember This
Integrity comes from a root meaning wholeness; it covers both honesty in character and the idea of being complete or undamaged.
Other Forms
Connect With
honesty, probity, uprightness, rectitude, moral character; data integrity; structural integrity
Note
In everyday use, integrity often refers to moral character (academic integrity, personal integrity) but can also mean the reliability or soundness of something (data integrity, the integrity of a system). Do not confuse with simply 'honesty' in every context; integrity includes consistency of actions, values, methods, and principles.