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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, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Most importantly, lead with integrity—trust is your most valuable asset in an ever-evolving landscape.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Financial intimacy makes room for honesty, respect, and growth — in both your wallet and your relationships.
    Essence, Essence, 5 Sep. 2025
  • For Lopes, trust isn’t a matter of believing intellectually in the honesty or goodwill of another individual or institution.
    Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • DeMeco Ryans will have the honor to try to mesh all of the newcomers together to put a division-championship team on the field.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Each piece tells a story and honors culture, while allowing women who carry the bags to step into that story themselves.
    Ugonnaora Owoh, Essence, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • This deep connection between trees and morality is further evidenced in a trope of Western literature in which humans are transformed into trees, sometimes as an embodiment of sin.
    Ellen Walker, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Rebecca Ferguson stars as Captain Olivia Walker, a senior White House official tasked with keeping the government functioning as panic sets in, while Idris Elba plays a top national security adviser who must balance strategy with morality.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Becoming a saint In the Catholic faith, sainthood is reserved for those who have lived a life of heroic virtues, offered their life for others or died for their faith, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
    Lauren Costantino September 6, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Was one of Forest’s virtues last season their relative simplicity, which will now be disrupted?
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Chiara and Carolina arrived with such sincerity, depth, and passion for storytelling.
    Felicity Carter, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Pressman [has] deep knowledge and sincerity.
    Julia Hass, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Grandma combines all of that cheesy, starchy goodness into one casserole dish instead.
    Phoebe Evans, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The birds are naturally drawn to flowers, but are also known for taking pit stops at bright feeders filled with sugary goodness for them.
    Joyce Orlando, Nashville Tennessean, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The Case for a New DEX Model For professional traders used to instant execution and deterministic pricing, Ethereum’s bottlenecks undermine the fundamental trust in the system’s reliability.
    Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Wearable BCIs, while safer, often lacked the reliability needed for practical application.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Probity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/probity. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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