integrity

Integrity is the quality of being honest and possessing strong moral principles. It involves consistency between stated values and practical conduct, even when under pressure or facing personal costs. The term comes from the Latin integritas, meaning wholeness or completeness, reflecting the idea that a person’s character remains intact across different situations.

Integrity encompasses both personal and professional dimensions. In daily life, it includes reliability, transparency, and accountability—keeping promises, admitting mistakes, and avoiding actions that harm others. In professional settings, integrity often means following established standards, maintaining confidentiality, avoiding conflicts of interest, and reporting honestly about outcomes and limitations. Data integrity refers to the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of information throughout its lifecycle, from creation to storage, use, and deletion.

Integrity is related to ethics and morals but is not reducible to legal compliance. Laws may enforce boundaries, yet integrity involves aligning behavior with deeper principles even when it is legally permissible to do otherwise. Breaches of integrity erode trust, damage reputations, and can lead to sanctions or loss of opportunities; conversely, consistent integrity fosters trust, accountability, and reputational strength.

Assessing integrity is complex and context-dependent. Organizations seek to cultivate it through codes of conduct, training, leadership example, and accountability mechanisms. Practices that support integrity include transparent decision-making, whistleblower protections, and independent audits. In information systems, technical measures such as checksums, validation, and version control help preserve data integrity.