If you as a constituent were presented with a referendum on an appropriations bill that was proposed for an upcoming legislative budget (see this post for definitions of these three highlighted words), you might not have the time or the ability to research all of the financial details involved before casting your vote. In that case, you would have to depend on the probity of the legislators who put the bill together. The word probity means “complete honesty and integrity.” Someone who is known for their probity can be trusted to keep their word, to tell the truth, and to do the right thing. The word comes from the Latin root probus, meaning “virtuous” and is pronounced PRO-bih-tee.

Example: Her reputation for probity makes her a well-respected judge in the district court system.

Prove is another word that comes from the same root. In the Middle Ages, “to prove” meant “to show to be worthy of.” The word approve meant “to agree that something is worthy.” These days, we are more likely to define the verb “to prove” as “to demonstrate that something is true” and “to approve” as “to give permission for, having found that something is good.”

Other related words are the noun reprobate (the Latin prefix re- meaning “not” makes the etymological definition essentially “someone not having probity”) and reprove, which means “to disapprove or condemn.” The word probation also comes from the same root, and means “a time of testing” – that is, a time in which one must prove oneself. This word is often used in the workplace; a new employee might be hired on probation for a certain time period, during which the employer and employee make sure that the person is suited for the position. An existing employee might be placed on probation if they have done something wrong, as an alternative to being fired immediately, though with the understanding that if they repeat their error, they will be fired.

We hope this post proves to you the usefulness of doing some research into the origins of words, so that you can see how they relate to each other, and how helpful that can be when you’re faced with unfamiliar words. Test it out for yourself!