Pronounced: met-uh-NOY-uh, noun
Notes: Another word I could find a use for – I’m more familiar with a different way to express this meaning
Yesterday’s word
The word probity means “adherence to the highest principles and ideals : uprightness”
First usage
This word dates back to the early 1500s
Background / Comments
As I noted, I happen to know the word, mostly because of reading of English authors from around 100 years ago. I’m not sure how well known this word it. It comes from the Latin word probus (honest).
Probity, honesty, honor, and integrity are similar words; they all mean uprightness of character, but have different shades of meaning. Honesty, for example, implies a refusal to lie or deceive in any way. Honor suggests an active or anxious regard for the standard of one’s profession, calling, or position. Integrity implies trustworthiness and incorruptibility to a degree that one is incapable to being false to a trust, responsibility, or pledge. Our word probity implies tried and proven honesty or integrity.
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 