What does uprightness mean?
Uprightness is the noun for the quality of being morally honest, honorable, and firm in one's principles. In ordinary modern use, it usually suggests a person who resists corruption, dishonesty, or opportunism, often with an emphasis on quiet consistency rather than dramatic displays of virtue. The word can also describe the state of standing vertically, though this physical sense is much less common than the moral one. Uprightness is typically used in formal, respectful, or elevated contexts, especially when discussing public officials, religious teaching, personal character, or traditional ideals of integrity. Its strength lies in combining moral firmness with dignity: it evokes someone who remains upright under pressure. Because it derives from the idea of standing straight, the word also connects physical posture with ethical behavior, making it especially useful for describing integrity that appears both principled and resilient.
nounThe quality of being morally upright, especially of having honesty and integrity; also, in some contexts, the state of being in a vertical position.
- Moral integrity; honesty and honorable conduct.
- The condition of being upright or vertical; verticality.
"Her quiet uprightness earned the trust of everyone she worked with."
"The governor's uprightness was widely respected, even when his policies were controversial."
"The sculpture's uprightness gives the figure a sense of stability and dignity."
This is the standard plural, although uprightness is usually treated as a mass noun and is rarely pluralized.
"The biographies explore different forms of integrity and moral uprightnesses."
Uprightness turns a physical posture into a moral ideal: standing straight and standing by your principles become mirrors of the same virtue.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does uprightness come from?
Uprightness was formed in English by adding the suffix -ness to upright, a word meaning standing up or morally honorable. Upright itself combines up with right, so the word's development links vertical position with correct direction and, by extension, moral conduct. The moral sense developed from the idea of standing straight in an ethical or figurative sense. Related forms include right, righteous, and rightly, all of which reflect the older English tradition of rightness or right direction.
How uprightness is actually used
Uprightness is usually formal or elevated in contemporary English and most often describes moral character. Its physical sense, meaning verticality or an upright position, is less common and can sound somewhat technical or descriptive.
Easily confused with uprightness
Uprightness is the noun for the quality of being morally upright, whereas upright is primarily an adjective meaning vertically erect or morally honorable, though it can also function as a noun.