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integrity

in-TEG-ruh-tee /ɪnˈtɛɡrəti/

nounB2SATACTTOEFLIELTSGRE

generalacademicformal

The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; the state of being whole and undivided.

Refers both to moral uprightness and to structural or conceptual soundness that remains uncorrupted under pressure.

The story behind the word. From the Latin 'integer', meaning intact or untouched. It entered Middle English through French, retaining the core concept of being complete, uncorrupted, and sound in structure and character.

Word relationships

probity: Probity emphasizes complete, proven honesty in financial or legal dealings.
uprightness: Uprightness focuses on personal moral conduct according to conventional standards.

dishonesty: Dishonesty means deceit or lack of truthfulness.
corruption: Corruption implies the decay or perversion of integrity.

Commonly confused with

integration: Integration means combining parts into a whole, whereas integrity means moral honesty or structural soundness.

Word family

integer (noun): A whole number.
integrate (verb): To combine into a whole.

Collocations

academic integrity
moral integrity
compromise one's integrity
unquestionable integrity

Idioms & expressions

man of integrity
keep one's hands clean

Example sentences

"Academic integrity requires students to produce their own work and acknowledge all cited sources." Academic Ethics
"The scientific community relies on the integrity of researchers to publish unmanipulated raw data." Scientific Ethics

Memory hook

An INTEGER is a whole number; INTEGRITY means your moral character remains WHOLE and uncorrupted. Wholeness of moral character

When not to use

Do not confuse with mere politeness or superficial friendliness.

Fun facts

The mathematical term 'integer' and the ethical word 'integrity' share the exact same Latin root meaning 'untouched'.