rectitude

English

WOTD – 13 September 2010

Etymology

From Middle English rectitude, from Middle French rectitude, from Late Latin rectitūdō (“straightness, uprightness”), from Latin rectus (“straight”), perfect passive participle of regō (“regulate, guide”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛk.tɪ.tjuːd/, /ˈɹɛk.tə.tjuːd/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛk.tə.tuːd/, /ˈɹɛk.tə.tjuːd/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

rectitude (countable and uncountable, plural rectitudes)

1. Straightness; the state or quality of having a constant direction and not being crooked or bent. [from 15th c.]
2. (now rare) The fact or quality of being right or correct; correctness of opinion or judgement. [from 15th c.]
   • 2010, Christopher Hitchens, Hitch-22, Atlantic, published 2011, page 98:

     A consciousness of rectitude can be a terrible thing, and in those days I didn't just think that I was right: I thought that “we” (our group of International Socialists in particular) were being damn well proved right.

3. Conformity to the rules prescribed for moral conduct; (moral) uprightness, virtue. [from 16th c.]
   • 1776 July 4, Thomas Jefferson et al., United States Declaration of Independence:

     We, therefore, the Repreſentatives of the united States of America, in General Congreſs, Aſsembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of theſe Colonies, ſolemnly publiſh and declare, That theſe United Colonies are, and of right ought to be Free and Independent States […]

   • 1986, John le Carré, A Perfect Spy:

     “Sit with her all night if we have to,” Syd affirms with strenuous rectitude.

Quotations

• For more quotations using this term, see Citations:rectitude.

Synonyms

• (rightness of principle): honesty, integrity, morality

Translations

straightness; state or quality of having a constant direction

• Basque: zuzentasun
• Bulgarian: правота (bg) f (pravota)
• Catalan: rectitud f
• Dutch: rechtlijnigheid (nl) f
• Finnish: suoruus (fi)
• French: rectitude (fr)
• Hindi: पाकबाजी (hi) f (pākbājī), दुरुस्ती (hi) f (durustī)
• Italian: rettitudine (it), dirittura (it) f
• Latin: rectitūdō f
• Persian: درستکاری (fa) (dorostkâri)
• Romanian: rectitudine (ro) f
• Russian: прямота́ (ru) f (prjamotá)
• Spanish: rectitud (es)
• Urdu: پاکبازی (pakbazi), درستی (drusti)

rightness of principle or practice

• Bulgarian: правилност (bg) f (pravilnost)
• Catalan: rectitud f
• Dutch: rechtlijnigheid (nl) f
• Finnish: rehtiys (fi), vilpittömyys (fi)
• French: rectitude (fr), droiture (fr), rigueur (fr)
• Hindi: नायकी (hi) f (nāykī), नाइकी f (nāikī)
• Italian: rettitudine (it) f, dirittura (it) f
• Latin: rectitūdō f
• Persian: نیکوکاری (fa) (nikukâri)
• Polish: prawość (pl) f
• Portuguese: retidão (pt) f
• Romanian: rectitudine (ro) f, echitate (ro) f, rigoare (ro) f
• Russian: правота́ (ru) f (pravotá), пра́вильность (ru) f (právilʹnostʹ)
• Spanish: rectitud (es), derechura (es)
• Urdu: نیکی (Naiki)

References

• “rectitude”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• certitude

French

Etymology

From Late Latin rectitūdō (“straightness, uprightness”), from Latin rectus (“straight”), perfect passive participle of regō (“regulate, guide”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁɛk.ti.tyd/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophone: rectitudes
• Hyphenation: rec‧ti‧tude

Noun

rectitude f (plural rectitudes)

1. rectitude

Derived terms

• rectitude politique

Further reading

• “rectitude”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• certitude