What does integrity mean?
Integrity means honesty and consistency in one's actions, especially when doing so requires adherence to moral or ethical principles. People speak of personal integrity when someone keeps their word, refuses to deceive, and acts according to stable values even under pressure. It can also describe the soundness or coherence of something else: a structure has structural integrity, while a database or set of records has data integrity. The word is strongly associated with trustworthiness and moral reliability, but it is not limited to personal morality. In technical contexts, it emphasizes wholeness, consistency, and resistance to damage or corruption. A brief but memorable distinction is that character refers to who someone is, whereas integrity refers to how reliably someone acts in accordance with their principles.
nounThe quality of being honest, morally upright, and consistent with ethical principles. It can also refer to the wholeness, coherence, or soundness of something, such as a structure, system, or body of information.
- Honesty and strict adherence to moral or ethical principles.
- The state of being whole, coherent, intact, or internally consistent.
"Her integrity in reporting the error earned the respect of her colleagues."
"The auditor questioned the official's integrity after the financial records were found to be incomplete."
"Engineers inspected the bridge to determine whether its structural integrity had been affected by the flood."
The plural is grammatically possible but uncommon; in most contexts, the abstract concept is discussed in the singular.
"The traditions of different communities possess their own forms of integrity."
Integrity is the quiet promise that your principles do not change when no one is watching.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does integrity come from?
Integrity comes from Latin integritas, meaning wholeness or soundness, from integer, meaning whole or intact. The word entered English in the early 16th century, initially with meanings connected with wholeness and completeness, and later developing the sense of moral honesty. Its relatives include integral, integer, entire, and integrate, all sharing the same Latin root.
How integrity is actually used
In its moral sense, integrity is usually regarded as a high-quality and often formal virtue, especially in contexts involving personal conduct, professional responsibility, or public trust. In technical and organizational contexts, it refers to the reliability, consistency, or soundness of a structure, system, or set of data.