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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun probity contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of probity are honesty, honor, and integrity. While all these words mean "uprightness of character or action," probity implies tried and proven honesty or integrity.

When might honesty be a better fit than probity?

The words honesty and probity can be used in similar contexts, but honesty implies a refusal to lie, steal, or deceive in any way.

When is it sensible to use honor instead of probity?

The words honor and probity are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, honor suggests an active or anxious regard for the standards of one's profession, calling, or position.

When could integrity be used to replace probity?

In some situations, the words integrity and probity are roughly equivalent. However, integrity implies trustworthiness and incorruptibility to a degree that one is incapable of being false to a trust, responsibility, or pledge.

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of probity As for the legal probity of targeting such a change at one country—China—this would hardly be unprecedented. Alex Raskolnikov, Foreign Affairs, 19 Feb. 2025 The legal and political crisis encompasses both the Justice Department and New York’s City Hall, calling into question Mr. Adams’s future as well as the independence and probity of federal prosecutions. Benjamin Weiser, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025 Carter’s outsider status, coupled with his evident probity, provided a tonic to an electorate weary of Watergate and Richard Nixon’s endless prevarications. Randall Balmer, The Mercury News, 2 Jan. 2025 The dilemma recalls Otto Preminger’s Whirlpool and Where the Sidewalk Ends, post-WWII films about personal probity but without the melodramatic hype that cheapened both. Armond White, National Review, 22 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for probity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for probity
Noun
  • Donate today to preserve the quality and integrity of local journalism.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Closing these gaps — by proving cold chain integrity and making preparation steps unmistakable — is key to preventing devastating safety breakdowns and the category-wide PR fallout that can follow a single recall.
    Darin Detwiler, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The seven pillars of society—wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility, and truth—aren’t just words carved into sacred walls.
    Maria Williams, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
  • That requires a lot of honesty.
    Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Johnson’s early performance led to him earning second-team midseason Associated Press All-America honors.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2025
  • And even though those consequences are, in the grand scheme of things, nothing as big as what their conduct might demand, the fact that Andrew had to give up his royal titles and honors is more than a lot of people expected.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • When the pursuit of the truth calls character into question, a war over morality begins and a clash between #Momtok and #Dadtok erupts.
    Andrew McGowan, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
  • When the pursuit of the truth calls character into question, a war over morality begins, and a clash between #Momtok and #Dadtok erupts.
    Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The Syclone may not have been fully appreciated during its day, but today, more than 30 years later, enthusiasts have caught onto its major virtues.
    Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Instead, the head of the Southern Baptist Convention now posits that empathy is an artificial virtue.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The film’s ever-so-slightly absurd sincerity is nothing if not brazen.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
  • In the film’s version of events, the fate of the plane and everyone on it comes down to Nobody’s ability to manipulate the relative sincerity of Japan’s Deputy Minister Shinichi Ishida and Seo Go-myung.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The result is a skillet of melty goodness that’s packed with flavor.
    Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Thank goodness that remains true today.
    Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Brand equity and relevance need to be fed over time, as they are considered notions of quality and reliability by clients, informing their purchasing choices.
    Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The businesses surviving today are those making hard decisions now—about sourcing, shipping, and paying for reliability.
    Vitalii Savryha, Sourcing Journal, 21 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Probity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/probity. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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