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.
Examples of rectitude in a Sentence
Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
And not unlike that earlier film, this one takes its tale of debauchery and rectitude and reconciles everything with a fiery third act.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
The subtler truth is that a similar kind of minimalist rectitude is what has governed the best of the older monuments in the nation’s capital.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2025
Indeed, comprehensive independent police auditing would help ensure, not harm, the rectitude of police investigations.
—Mercury News Editorial, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rectitude
Cite this Entry
“Rectitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rectitude. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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rectitude
noun
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