rectitude
Morally correct behavior or thinking; righteousness and integrity.
Rectitude is a highly formal term that emphasizes strict, unbending adherence to moral rules and correctness. It often carries a slightly rigid or self-righteous tone compared to the warmer, more personal 'integrity'.
Word relationships
- righteousness: Righteousness often has a religious or spiritual connotation, whereas rectitude is more secular, focusing on moral correctness and ethical rules.
- integrity: Integrity implies a wholeness and consistency of character, while rectitude focuses specifically on the correctness and straightness of one's moral actions.
- depravity: Depravity is moral corruption or wickedness, which is the complete opposite of rectitude.
- dishonesty: Dishonesty is a lack of truthfulness, whereas rectitude is a broader failure of moral straightness.
Commonly confused with
- rectify: Rectify is a verb meaning to put something right or correct an error, while rectitude is a noun referring to the state of moral correctness.
Word family
- rectitudinous (adjective): Morally correct, sometimes to a self-righteous degree.
Collocations
- moral rectitude
- rectitude of conduct
- unbending rectitude
Example sentences
- "Even his political enemies conceded that his public life was guided by a strict moral rectitude." A historical analysis of a political figure.
- "The philosopher argued that rectitude of intention is more important than the actual outcome of an action." A philosophical text on ethics.
Memory hook
Think of a 'ruler' or a 'rectangle'. Both are perfectly straight and have right angles. Rectitude is moral straightness—acting like a ruler that never bends. The straight line of morality.
When not to use
Do not use rectitude in casual speech or to describe someone who is simply nice. It refers to a strict, almost mathematical alignment with moral laws.
Fun facts
- In geometry, a 'rectilinear' shape is one formed by straight lines, which perfectly mirrors how 'rectitude' is moral conduct formed by straight, unbending principles.
Related words
Explore more words
propriety, principled, rectify, integrity, punctilious, virtue
Also appears in
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