honesty

[ on-uh-stee ]

noun

, plural hon·es·ties.

1. the quality or fact of being honest; uprightness and fairness.

   Synonyms: rectitude, probity, integrity

   Antonyms: dishonesty

2. truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness.

   Synonyms: veracity, candor

3. freedom from deceit or fraud.
4. Botany. a plant, Lunaria annua, of the mustard family, having clusters of purple flowers and semitransparent, satiny pods.
5. Obsolete. chastity.

honesty

/ ˈɒnɪstɪ /

noun

1. the condition of being honest
2. sincerity or fairness
3. archaic.
   virtue or respect
4. Also calledmoonwortsatinpod a purple-flowered SE European plant, Lunaria annua, cultivated for its flattened silvery pods, which are used for indoor decoration: family Brassicaceae (crucifers)

Other Words From

• o·ver·hon·es·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of honesty¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English honeste, from Middle French, from Latin honestās; honest, -ty ²

Synonym Study

See honor.

Example Sentences

Instead of reaching for the easy joke, or any at all, “A Man on the Inside” makes tenderness and honesty its North Star.

From Salon

“In all honesty, if I were to go back and rewrite it I would have gotten smoking data.”

From Science Magazine

It was then alleged that, in failing to admit to the incident on 8 December, the officer breached the force's standards of professional behaviour in respect of honesty and integrity.

From BBC

We saw scathing text messages from Dame Moya Greene, the former head of Royal Mail, which cast doubt on Ms Vennells’ honesty.

From BBC

“Whether on stage, on screen, or in personal conversations, Tony brought an unyielding honesty that resonated deeply with his friends, family, and fans.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• candor
• confidence
• fairness
• faithfulness
• frankness
• honor
• integrity
• loyalty
• morality
• probity
• rectitude
• responsibility
• self-respect
• sincerity
• trustworthiness
• veracity
• virtue