Definition

1. Noun:
   • Moral uprightness; righteousness: The quality of being honest, morally correct, and virtuous in one's principles and actions.
   • Correctness of judgment or procedure: Adherence to correct principles or standards of conduct.

Usage

• Rectitude is an uncountable noun used in formal contexts to describe a person's strong moral character or the correctness of a process.
• It is often used with possessive determiners (e.g., , ) or prepositions like (e.g., ).

Examples

• The judge was known for her unwavering rectitude and fairness.
• He conducted his business with such rectitude that he was admired by all.
• The committee's decision was questioned, despite its procedural rectitude.
• Her personal rectitude was never in doubt, even by her political opponents.

Advanced Usage

• Rectitude of intention/purpose: Acting with morally correct aims.
  • He pursued the project with a rectitude of purpose that inspired his team.
• Moral rectitude: A common collocation emphasizing ethical correctness.
  • The scandal damaged the politician's reputation for moral rectitude.

Variants and Related Words

• Rectitudinous (adjective): Characterized by or exhibiting rectitude. (Formal and rare)
  • He was a rectitudinous leader who never compromised his values.

Synonyms

• Integrity: The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.
• Probity: The quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency.
• Uprightness: The condition or quality of being morally correct and honest.
• Righteousness: The quality of being morally right or justifiable.

Antonyms

• Dishonesty: A lack of honesty or integrity.
• Corruption: Dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power.
• Depravity: Moral corruption; wickedness.

Notes

• Rectitude is a formal term. In everyday conversation, words like or are more common.
• It often implies a strict, sometimes inflexible, adherence to moral codes.

Noun

1. righteousness as a consequence of being honorable and honest