upstanding

adjective

up·​stand·​ing ˌəp-ˈstan-diŋ How to pronounce upstanding (audio)
ˈəp-ˌstan-
1
2
: marked by integrity
an upstanding businessman
upstandingness noun

Examples of upstanding in a Sentence

upstanding members of the community a fine, upstanding woman who deserves to be nominated to the state's highest court
Recent Examples on the Web Below, like the Morlocks of H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine, are the hunched, burrowing monsters that threaten upstanding folks walking freely above them in pure daylight. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 4 Feb. 2024 The Electoral College was conceived, in part, to ensure that the president was elected by upstanding members of the community in each state, increasing the likelihood that the executive’s awesome and thus potentially ruinous powers would be vested in worthy candidates. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 20 Jan. 2024 The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported in July 1990 that the some of the gym’s more upstanding citizens were quitting. Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 17 Jan. 2024 Led by seemingly upstanding community member William Hale (Robert De Niro), white interlopers systematically marry Osage women, killing off relatives — and eventually their wives — to secure their oil money. Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2023 Brett Wilson, the administrative judge with the county circuit court, remembered Wilkinson as an upstanding judge and member of the community. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 23 Oct. 2023 Teenagers are inveterate risk-takers and boundary pushers, and Discord was motivated to build a system that would rein in their worst impulses and — in the best-case scenario — turn them into upstanding citizens of the internet. Casey Newton, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2023 In the war’s aftermath, the Italians remembered their soldiers as brava gente—fine, upstanding people not responsible for the kinds of brutalities the German military inflicted. Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2023 An upstanding Bureau of Investigation agent named Tom White (Jesse Plemons) shows up to investigate murders in the community, and eventually cracks the case. Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 20 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upstanding.' 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

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of upstanding was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near upstanding

Cite this Entry

“Upstanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upstanding. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

upstanding

adjective
up·​stand·​ing ˌəp-ˈstan-diŋ How to pronounce upstanding (audio)
ˈəp-ˌstan-

More from Merriam-Webster on upstanding

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