VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

rectitude

noun·Advancedformal

Last updated

UK/ˈrektɪtjuːd/
US/ˈrektɪtuːd/

Meaning

  1. noununcountableformal

    The quality of always behaving honestly and according to firm moral principles, so that others regard you as upright.

    Grammar: Used without an or the plural: a woman of great rectitude, not a rectitude.

    Patterns

    • a person of rectitude
    • moral rectitude
    • rectitude in something

    The judge was admired for her rectitude, because no gift or favor ever swayed a ruling.

    He lived with such rectitude that neighbors trusted him with their house keys.

    The committee praised the treasurer's financial rectitude after the audit found no errors.

Common combinations

moral rectitude
Her moral rectitude made it impossible for her to lie, even to protect herself.
a man of rectitude
He was a man of rectitude, and his word was as good as a contract.
political rectitude
The senator built his career on a reputation for political rectitude.
stern rectitude
The headmaster faced the scandal with stern rectitude.
financial rectitude
Investors were reassured by the firm's long record of financial rectitude.

Synonyms and how they differ

integrity
Integrity is the everyday word and stresses being consistent and whole in your principles, while rectitude sounds more rigid and formal.
righteousness
Righteousness often carries a religious tone and can suggest self-satisfaction, whereas rectitude simply describes correct conduct.
probity
Probity is even more formal and is used mainly for honesty in public or financial duties, while rectitude covers moral behavior in general.
virtue
Virtue can refer to any single good quality, but rectitude means a steady overall pattern of upright behavior.

Opposites

dishonestycorruption

Word family

rectitudinous adjective
Rare and often mocking; describes someone who is pompously upright.
rectify verb
To put something right or correct a mistake.
correct adjective
Free from error; from the same Latin root meaning 'made straight'.

Commonly confused: rectitude or rectify?

rectitude vs rectify

Rectify means to fix a problem, while rectitude is a moral quality; they share a root but are not interchangeable.

Practice

The mayor's ______ was never questioned; even his rivals admitted he refused every bribe.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “rectitude”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words