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
Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Moral rectitude, in some left-wing corners of the commentariat, is out; flagrant disregard of the social contract is in.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
Eisenhower was possibly the most extraordinary public servant of the 20th century: soldier, commander, diplomat, educator, president and, in retirement, the ultimate symbol of public dignity and national rectitude.
—Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Preparedness, mature judgment, rectitude and loyalty.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Nov. 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 1 May. 2026.
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rectitude
noun
