What does uprightly mean?
Uprightly is an adverb meaning in an upright manner. Its principal modern use describes honest and morally principled behavior: a person who acts uprightly acts with integrity, refuses to deceive, and treats others justly. The phrase “live uprightly,” for example, evokes a deliberate commitment to respectable principles. Uprightly can also describe something standing vertically, although upright is now more usual in that physical sense. The word has a formal, occasionally archaic tone and may suggest a traditional ideal of moral firmness more strongly than the simpler adverb honestly. Because its two meanings derive from the same basic idea of being upright, context determines whether the emphasis is ethical or physical. It remains a useful word when a speaker wants to stress principled conduct rather than mere truthfulness.
adverbIn an upright manner; with honesty, moral integrity, or firmness of principle. It can also mean vertically, in an upright position.
- With honesty, moral integrity, or firmness of principle.
- In an upright position; vertically.
"She continued to deal uprightly with everyone, regardless of the consequences."
"The witness spoke uprightly and refused to distort what she had seen."
"The banner was fastened uprightly against the side of the building."
Uprightly preserves the moral force of “upright” while giving it the formal cadence of an old-fashioned maxim.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does uprightly come from?
Uprightly is an English adverb formed by adding the suffix -ly to the adjective upright. Upright is a native English formation combining up and right, with roots referring respectively to direction and straightness; it has long conveyed both a vertical position and moral soundness. The moral sense of upright also underlies related words such as uprightness, while right remains a shared element of the family.
How uprightly is actually used
Uprightly sounds formal and somewhat old-fashioned, especially in the moral sense. It is less common in everyday speech than honestly or upright, and the physical sense is relatively uncommon in modern usage.
Easily confused with uprightly
Uprightly is the adverb meaning “in an upright manner,” whereas upright is chiefly an adjective meaning vertical or morally honorable, though it can also be used adverbially.