rectitude
noun
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The Right Definition of Rectitude
Ready for some straight talk about rectitude? Righto! Rectitude is a formal word that comes from the Latin adjective rectus, which means both “right” and “straight,” and ultimately from the Latin verb regere, meaning “to lead straight.” Rectitude today typically refers to moral integrity—that is, to “straightness” or “rightness” of character. (An early use referred literally to a straight line, but that sense is now rare.) Rectus has a number of other descendants in English, including rectangle (a closed four-sided figure with four right angles), rectify (“to make right”), rectilinear (“moving in or forming a straight line”), and even rectus itself, a medical term for any one of several straight muscles in the body.
Synonyms
Examples of rectitude in a Sentence
Shadi Hamid, Washington Post, 17 June 2024
Doing more damage in the name of fiscal rectitude will derail Labour’s positive agenda and, with it, possibly the party itself.
—Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 30 Apr. 2024
Ryan and Ellis focus is not so much on rectitude or certainty but on the character’s fight against her own exhaustion.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2024
In a longshot bid to shape the views of Michigan Senator Arthur Vandenberg, known for his moral rectitude, Trujillo sponsored William A. Morgan, a respected physician well known among Washington politicos who tried arranging Caribbean sojourns for Vandenberg’s family members.
—Aaron Coy Moulton / Made By History, TIME, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for rectitude 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rectitude.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rectitude
Cite this Entry
“Rectitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rectitude. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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rectitude
noun
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