high-minded

adjective

high-mind·​ed ˈhī-ˈmīn-dəd How to pronounce high-minded (audio)
: marked by elevated principles and feelings
also : pretentious
too high-minded to read any fiction Alfred Kazin
high-mindedly adverb
high-mindedness noun

Examples of high-minded in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The high-minded anti-FAB posturing was disagreeable not only to active stakeholders, but to older natives as well. Rebecca Panovka, Harper's Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 Especially a talented and sporadically high-minded one, such as Truman Capote, who saw no particular contradiction between greatness and frivolity and who moved with bewildering ease between registers (and ethical codes) that others might struggle to reconcile. Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2024 The fact that Trump’s motives may be political rather than high-minded does not change the basic fact that the Senate deal would be a disaster that camouflages Biden’s dereliction of duty. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 27 Jan. 2024 Now, contrast these high-minded ideals with last week’s announcement that Carlos Ayala, 52, of Salisbury, an elections board member in the first year of a four-year term was arrested for participating in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 16 Jan. 2024 The notion that Palestinians ought to accept their lot in the name of a high-minded ideology would strike Jewish diasporists, who tend to favor Palestinian self-determination, as noxious. Marc Tracy, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2024 Bringing people together in high-minded community is the task of folk music. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2023 In the Troisgros kitchen, great food is a matter of craft, history, and dedication to an ideal, all of which may sound tediously high-minded, but which, in this movie, turns out to be thrilling. David Denby, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2023 Aquarius: Kelly says the high-minded Aquarius will find its match in an Aries or Sagittarius. Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'high-minded.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of high-minded was in 1556

Dictionary Entries Near high-minded

Cite this Entry

“High-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high-minded. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

high-minded

adjective
high-mind·​ed
ˈhī-ˈmīn-dəd
: having or expressing noble ideas and feelings
high-mindedly adverb
high-mindedness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!