rectitudinous

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The Word of the Day for August 5 is:

rectitudinous   \rek-tuh-TOO-duh-nuss\   adjective
    *1 : characterized by straightness or moral integrity 
     2 : piously self-righteous 

Example sentence: 
     "Their leader-to-be was . . . a sternly rectitudinous 
former federal judge who may be the straightest straight arrow 
in Washington." (_Newsweek_, March 16, 1987)

Did you know? 
     "Rectitudinous" comes to us straight from the Late 
Latin "rectitudin-" (English added the "-ous" ending), which is, 
in turn, ultimately derived from the Latin word "rectus," 
meaning both "straight" and "right." (There are other "rectus" 
descendants in English, including "rectitude," of course, 
and "rectilinear," "rectangle," and "rectify.") 
When "rectitudinous" first appeared in print in 1897, it was in 
the phrase "notoriously and unctuously rectitudinous." 
Although "rectitude" often expresses an admirable moral 
integrity, "rectitudinous" has always had a less flattering 
side. It can suggest not only moral uprightness but also a 
displeasing holier-than-thou attitude. 

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.