soundness
(ˈsaʊndnɪs)
[f. sound a.]
1. The quality or state of being sound or free from disease; sound or healthy condition; healthiness.
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. vi. vi. (Bodl. MS.), Puella is a name of age, of soundenes without wem, and also of honestee. 1571 Golding Calvin on Ps. xli. 13 Soundnesse may be referred too the body as to the mynd in this wyse. 1601 Shakes. All's Well i. ii. 24, I would I had that corporall soundnesse now. a 1610 Healey Cebes (1616) 134 The Physician..corroborates the vitals; and finally confirmeth the body in perfect soundnesse. 1701 Stanhope Augustine's Medit. ii. xviii. (1720) 167 There shall be in us all imaginable Soundness and Vigour, without any sort of Disease or Decay. 1768 Tucker Lt. Nat. I. ii. 322 Though a man would wish in the first place to enjoy vigour of limbs and soundness of constitution. 1830 R. Knox Béclard's Anat. 372 These tissues resemble the tissues of the human body in a state of soundness. 1866 J. G. Murphy Comm., Exod. xix. 9 The hand changed from soundness to leprosy and again to soundness. |
| fig. 1643 Milton Divorce Introd., Wks. 1851 IV. 3 A certain big face of pretended learning, mistaken..for the wholsome habit of soundnesse and good constitution. |
b. Of the mind, etc.: (see
sound a. 2 b).
| 1548 Elyot, Sanitas, helth,..soundenesse of memorie. 1602 J. Davies (Heref.) Mirum in Modum Wks. (Grosart) I. 15/1 The Soule can not her soundnesse more bewray, Then when she doth Temptations strong resist. 1639 J. Sedgwick (title), The Bearing and Burden of the Spirit, wherein the Sicknesse and Soundnesse of the Mans Spirit is opened. 1678 (title), The Temperate Man or the Right Way of Preserving Life and Health, together with Soundness of the Senses, Judgment, and Memory unto extream Old Age. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) V. 537 Conclusive evidence of the capacity of such vouchee, as to the soundness of his mind. 1860 Pusey Min. Proph. 36 The minds of the wicked..lose their soundness as it were without knowing it. |
c. Firmness, solidity; freedom from weakness, defect, or damage; goodness of condition or repair. Also
fig.| 1548 Elyot, Soliditas,..soundenesse. 1565 Cooper Thes. s.v. Firmitas, The hardenes or soundeness of the matter. 1663 S. Patrick Parab. Pilgrim (1687) 414 He considers not that a crazy state of things cannot be so soon amended and restored to entire soundness. 1685 Baxter Paraphr. N.T. 1 John ii. 5–6 It is they that keep his Word, in whom the Love of God doth shew its soundness and perfection. 1827 Faraday Chem. Manip. xviii. (1842) 484 That rigidity which was so dangerous to the apparatus and fatal to its soundness. 1859 Act 22–23 Vict. c. 66 §13 The [gas] Meter shall be tested for Soundness or Leakage only. 1875 Manning Mission H. Ghost xii. 332 If you..saw before you a bridge the soundness of which was doubtful. |
2. Orthodoxy in respect of religious belief, political views, or other opinions.
| 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 91 Persons..whose soundnesse in religion..they are not ignorant of. 1631 Gouge God's Arrows iii. §30. 236 Cause is given for their prayers to be suspected in regard of the soundnesse of them. 1682 Sec. Plea for Nonconf. 2 The Worthiness of their Persons,..Soundness of their Faith, Exemplary Morals. a 1700 Evelyn Diary 10 Mar. 1687, The Church of England, whose doctrine for Catholic and soundness he preferr'd to all the Communities..of Christians in the world. 1872 Schele de Vere Americanisms 266 Often it is not enough to ascertain the soundness of the candidate. |
3. The quality or fact of being in harmony with solid or well-established principles or facts:
a. Of judgement, reasoning, etc.
| a 1600 Hooker Eccles. Pol. (J.), It may stand then very well with strength and soundness of reason, even thus to answer. 1631 Gouge God's Arrows v. §6. 416 Soundnesse of judgement, Sharpenesse of wit, Quicknesse of conceit. 1782 F. Burney Cecilia v. iv, The soundness of her judgment had hitherto guarded her both from error and blame. 1799 J. Robertson Agric. Perth 552 They have a soundness of understanding equal to the task. 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. xxxiv, The soundness of thinking which she had displayed in conversation. 1885 Manch. Exam. 18 Feb. 3/2 In critical soundness and penetration, he is infinitely superior to Johnson. |
b. Of views, acts, principles, etc.
| 1739 Waterland Sacram. Pt. Eucharist Expl. 18, I will not answer for the Acuteness, much less for the Soundness of his Distinction. 1832 H. Martineau Ella of Gar. vii. 81, I always doubt the soundness of a plea which is urged in such a hurry. 1837 P. Keith Bot. Lex. 275 The soundness of the principle on which the Linnæan nomenclature is founded. 1885 Law Times LXXIX. 131/2 The soundness of this decision seems to us beyond doubt. |
4. Thoroughness, completeness.
| 1853 Lynch Lett. Scattered (1872) 357 If he wait long enough, he will be flogged with most efficient soundness. |