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• frank
  frank

  adjective

  direct and unreserved in speech; straightforward; sincere.
• Frank
  Frank

  noun

  a member of a group of ancient Germanic peoples dwelling in the regions of the Rhine, one division of whom, the Salians, conquered Gaul about a.d. 500, founded an extensive kingdom, and gave origin to the name France.

frank

¹ American  

[frangk] / fræŋk /

adjective

• franker,
  comparative
• frankest
  superlative

1. direct and unreserved in speech; straightforward; sincere.

   Her criticism of my work was frank but absolutely fair.

   Synonyms:

   blunt, naked, uninhibited, bold, free, unguarded

   Antonyms:

   restrained, inhibited, guarded

2. without inhibition or subterfuge; transparent; undisguised.

   The letter contained a frank appeal for financial aid.

3. Pathology. clinically evident; unmistakable.

   frank blood.

4. Archaic. liberal or generous.

5. Obsolete. free.

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noun

1. a signature or mark affixed by special privilege to a letter, package, or the like to ensure its transmission free of charge, as by mail.

2. the privilege of having letters, packages, etc., transmitted free of charge.

3. a letter, package, etc., transmitted free of charge by special privilege.

verb (used with object)

1. to mark (a letter, package, etc.) for transmission free of the usual charge, by virtue of official or special privilege; send free of charge, as mail.

2. to convey (a person) free of charge.

3. to enable to pass or go freely.

   to frank a visitor through customs.

4. to facilitate the comings and goings of (a person), especially in society.

   A sizable inheritance will frank you faster than anything else.

5. to secure exemption for.

6. Carpentry. to assemble (millwork, as sash bars) with a miter joint through the moldings and a butt joint or mortise-and-tenon joint for the rest.

frank ² American  

[frangk] / fræŋk /

noun

Informal.

1. frankfurter.

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Frank ³ American  

[frangk] / fræŋk /

noun

1. a member of a group of ancient Germanic peoples dwelling in the regions of the Rhine, one division of whom, the Salians, conquered Gaul about a.d. 500, founded an extensive kingdom, and gave origin to the name France.

2. (in the Levant) any native of western Europe.

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Frank ⁴ American  

[frangk, frahngk, frahnk, frahngk] / fræŋk, frɑŋk, frɑnk, frɑŋk /

noun

1. Anne, 1929–45, German Jewish girl who died in Belsen concentration camp in Germany: her diaries about her family hiding from Nazis in Amsterdam (1942–44) were published in 1947.

2. Ilya Mikhailovich 1908–90, Russian physicist: Nobel Prize 1958.

3. Leonhard 1882–1961, German novelist.

4. Robert, 1924–2019, U.S. photographer and filmmaker, born in Switzerland.

5. Waldo, 1889–1967, U.S. novelist and social critic.

6. a male given name, form of Francis or Franklin.

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frank ¹ British  

/ fræŋk /

adjective

1. honest and straightforward in speech or attitude

   a frank person

2. outspoken or blunt

3. open and avowed; undisguised

   frank interest

4. an obsolete word for free generous

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verb

1. to put a mark on (a letter, parcel, etc), either cancelling the postage stamp or in place of a stamp, ensuring free carriage See also postmark

2. to mark (a letter, parcel, etc) with an official mark or signature, indicating the right of free delivery

3. to facilitate or assist (a person) to come and go, pass, or enter easily

4. to obtain immunity for or exempt (a person)

noun

1. an official mark or signature affixed to a letter, parcel, etc, ensuring free delivery or delivery without stamps

2. the privilege, issued to certain people and establishments, entitling them to delivery without postage stamps

Frank ² British  

/ fraŋk /

noun

1. Anne . 1929–45, German Jewess, whose Diary (1947) recorded the experiences of her family while in hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam (1942–44). They were betrayed and she died in a concentration camp

2. Robert . born 1924, US photographer and film maker, born in Switzerland; best known for his photographic book The Americans (1959)

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Frank ³ British  

/ fræŋk /

noun

1. a member of a group of West Germanic peoples who spread from the east bank of the middle Rhine into the Roman Empire in the late 4th century _ad , gradually conquering most of Gaul and Germany. The Franks achieved their greatest power under Charlemagne

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Usage

What does frank mean? Frank is used to describe something that is honest and straightforward, especially in speech, as in The fashion show judge gave frank criticism to every contestant, even if they didn’t want it. Frank can also be used to describe something that is direct and undisguised, as in My teacher was frank with me, saying bluntly that I had failed the course. Although used rarely, frank also refers to a mark put on letters or packages to signal they should be shipped for free. In the United States, franks are reserved for members of Congress and other high-ranking government officials. Frank can be used as a verb to mean to mark the mail as special, as in The post office has strict rules when it comes to franking mail for free delivery. Related to this sense, frank can mean to give free passage to a person, as in The diplomat was franked through the military checkpoint. Example: The ballet teacher’s advice was frank, but the blunt criticism was very helpful to the rising star.

Synonym Usage

Frank, candid, open, outspoken imply a freedom and boldness in speaking, writing, or acting. Frank is applied to one unreserved in expressing the truth and to one's real opinions and sentiments: a frank analysis of a personal problem. Candid suggests that one is sincere and truthful or impartial and fair in judgment, sometimes unpleasantly so: a candid expression of opinion. Open implies a lack of reserve or of concealment: open antagonism. Outspoken applies to a person who expresses their thoughts freely, even when this is inappropriate: an outspoken and unnecessary show of disapproval.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• franker
  noun
• frankness
  noun
• frankable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• franker
  comparative
• frankest
  superlative

Etymology

Origin of frank¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English “not a serf, free; generous; unconfined; exempt from tax,” from Old French franc, from Late Latin francus “free,” originally Frank

Origin of frank²

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05; by shortening

Origin of Frank³

before 900; Middle English Franke, Old English Franca (cognate with Old High German Franko ), perhaps from the Germanic base of Old English franka spear, javelin, a weapon allegedly favored by the Franks

Explanation

To be frank is to be honest. Also, it's a hot dog. Eating a frank at the ballpark is, to be frank, an all-American experience. If you're open, honest, and candid, you're frank — that can mean refreshing honesty or too much information. Frank also has some lesser known uses. It can also mean to stamp with a postmark, or to pass someone through for free — like how your museum job lets you frank your friends into the planetarium. The most delicious meaning is for what you may know as a dog, frankfurter, hot dog, hotdog, weenie, wiener, or wiener-wurst.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

frank Frank franker frankest

To be frank, it sounds like you don’t like this man, and that is OK.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov called the talks "extremely frank", saying the Americans "put forward a number of ideas on possible routes to a settlement", but did not elaborate.

From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026

But not accounting for Galliano’s 15 years of sobriety, his frank apologies, and his continued remorse is somewhat unnerving.

From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026

“To be quite frank, I just don’t see everything getting to 100% by the end of the season,” Roberts said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

I had asked him to be frank, so I could not complain.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

As a jazz and pop standard it sparked memorable romantic readings from Peggy Lee, Margaret Whiting, Frank Sinatra, Mel Tormé and Tony Bennett.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

At the start of last season under Thomas Frank, Spurs built up primarily down the flanks, almost skipping the centre of the pitch entirely.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Brown was involved in a January 2013 altercation with singer Frank Ocean.

From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026

Frank is a master of the margins, but the Clippers need a lead executive who can spot it — greatness, not just on the court, but in the locker room, in the community.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

Barbara arranged parties, and Frank bought a slick Mercedes convertible.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Kozinn and Sinclair paint her as a complex person, occasionally haughty or petty, but franker and more open with the press.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2022

It was, said Bobby Wagner, an ugly win by the Seahawks — a frank assessment for which wide receiver Tyler Lockett had a slightly franker amendment.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 8, 2019

But a South Korean presidential adviser offered a franker assessment.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 28, 2019

I would like to believe that this is a watershed moment, that the downfall of so many powerful men will curb others, that we will have franker conversations about what needs to change.

From Slate ● Nov. 30, 2017

There is a broader and franker handling of the subjects of the day.

From Proceedings of the Second National Conservation Congress at Saint Paul, September 5-8, 1910 by United States. National Conservation Congress

Passages like these are some of the frankest and most resonant I have read about what death does to the bereaved.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2022

Would you say that the latest episode of Red Table Talk features the show’s frankest discussion of infidelity yet?

From Slate ● Jul. 11, 2020

Ellison’s closeness with Wright brings out some of his frankest early letters.

From The New Yorker ● Dec. 2, 2019

“This may be the frankest and most important presidential correspondence of this century,” he told the New York Times.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 23, 2018

Then he began his defence, very modestly and with frankest confession that he had been trapped by Dunmore into a pitfall, the existence of which he had never dreamed of.

From Cardigan by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers