Dictionary / integrity
integrity
- noun
- from Middle French
Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “integrity” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
noun
- countableuncountableSteadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.
Stand up, good Canterbury: Thy truth and thy integrity is rooted […]1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iagga
- countableuncountableThe state of being wholesome; unimpaired
- countableuncountableThe quality or condition of being complete; pure
- countableuncountableWith regards to data encryption, ensuring that information is not altered by unauthorized persons in a way that is not detectable by authorized users.
- countableuncountableThe ability of systems to provide timely warnings to users when they should not be used for navigation.
- countableuncountableTrustworthiness; keeping one's word.
Cross-check: WordNet senses (2)
- nounan undivided or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting — also: unity, wholeness
- nounmoral soundness
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)integrity
- Middle Frenchintégrité
- Latinintegritās “soundness, integrity”
- Latininteger
Borrowed from Middle French intégrité, from Latin integritās (“soundness, integrity”), from integer. Doublet of entirety.
Derivatives — words built from “integrity”
Phrases & compounds
Related terms
Want to go deeper? See also “integrity” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “integrity” came from before it was English.
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
integrity n. [L. integritas: cf. F. int. See Integer, and cf. Entirety.]
- The state or quality of being entire or complete; wholeness; entireness; unbroken state; as, the integrity of an empire or territory.
- Moral soundness; honesty; freedom from corrupting influence or motive; -- used especially with reference to the fulfillment of contracts, the discharge of agencies, trusts, and the like; uprightness; rectitude.
- Unimpaired, unadulterated, or genuine state; entire correspondence with an original condition; purity.
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
nounMeaning: Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.
Stand up, good Canterbury: Thy truth and thy integrity is rooted […]1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iagga
Living a lie saps us of integrity and moral cohesion to the point that we can no longer distinguish between the artifice being propped up and the real world.2023 June 22, Charles Hugh Smith, 2023-2030: Artifice Vs. Doom-Loops:
nounMeaning: an undivided or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting
the integrity of the nervous system is required for normal development
nounMeaning: moral soundness
he expects to find in us the common honesty and integrity of men of business
they admired his scrupulous professional integrity
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
integrity
/ɪnˈtɛɡɹəti/
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
integrity
/ɪnˈtɛɡɹəti/ · noun
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “integrity” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “integrity” and what each means:
Step 4 — Original meaning
The earliest traceable form is Latin integritās. What did it mean?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 5 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — integrity
Origin: A. Middle French (Middle French intégrité)
Journey: English integrity ← Middle French intégrité ← Latin integritās ← Latin integer
Some derivatives: disintegrity, integritous, nonintegrity, tensegrity
Original meaning: Latin integritās — “soundness, integrity”
Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French intégrité, from Latin integritās (“soundness, integrity”), from integer. Doublet of entirety.
Sources: Wiktionary “integrity” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/integrity#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/integrity