aboveboard
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of aboveboard
1610–20; above + board; so called from the requirement of keeping the hands above the table or board in order to discourage possible cheating at cards
Explanation
If something is aboveboard, it's done in a completely honest, straightforward way. When a company's business dealings are aboveboard, they act in an honorable, open manner. It would be nice to think that everyone acts in a way that's aboveboard, but scandals involving money and shady business deals prove otherwise. You might say, "I don't trust that guy — it just doesn't seem aboveboard, the way he avoids answering my questions." This word was first used in the 17th century, reportedly from the idea that it's harder to cheat at cards if you keep your hand above the table, rather than hiding it in your lap.
Vocabulary lists containing aboveboard
Idioms and Expressions, List 4
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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And Then There Were None
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She also said there was “a lot of ethics back and forth — of lawyers and all of that, to make sure that we were aboveboard and that everything is kosher.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026
I just want to make sure everything is aboveboard and done properly.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026
“It was sad but unsurprising to see him accepting this as an aboveboard, legitimate, independent inquiry,” said Jason Furman, a former economic adviser to President Barack Obama.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
"China never interferes in other countries' internal affairs and always acts in an open and aboveboard manner," the Chinese embassy in London has previously said.
From BBC • Oct. 29, 2025
For William, who liked to be aboveboard in everything, this posed ethical dilemmas.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
