Rectitude
/ˈrɛk.tɪ.tjuːd/noun
The quality of being morally correct or honest.
Did you know?Rectitude comes from the same Latin root as rectus, meaning “straight,” which is also behind words like rectangle and correct, showing how “right” and “straight” were once the same idea.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reg-
“to move in a straight line; to direct, guide, or rule”
Latin
Latin
rectus
“straight, upright, proper”
Late Latin
Latin
rectitūdō
“straightness; moral uprightness”
Old French
Old French
rectitude
“uprightness, correctness”
Middle English
English
rectitude
“moral correctness; upright conduct”
Modern English
English
rectitude
“moral integrity or correctness”