definitions

candid

[ kan-did ]
/ ˈkæn dɪd /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR candid ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

noun

an unposed photograph.

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RELATED WORDS

unequivocal, straightforward, impartial, truthful, sincere, outspoken, unbiased, blunt, forthright, aboveboard, bluff, equal, equitable, fair, frank, free, genuine, guileless, ingenuous, just

Nearby words

candescent, candescently, candia, candice, candicidin, candid, candid camera, candida, candidacy, candidate, candidate species

Origin of candid

1620–30; (< French candide) < Latin candidus shining white, equivalent to cand(ēre) to be shining white (akin to incense1) + -idus -id4
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for candid

British Dictionary definitions for candid

candid

/ (ˈkændɪd) /

adjective

frank and outspokenhe was candid about his dislike of our friends
without partiality; unbiased
unposed or informala candid photograph
obsolete
  1. white
  2. clear or pure
Derived Formscandidly, adverbcandidness, noun

Word Origin for candid

C17: from Latin candidus white, from candēre to be white
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for candid

candid

adj.

1620s, "white," from Latin candidum "white; pure; sincere, honest, upright," from candere "to shine," from PIE root *kand- "to glow, to shine" (see candle). In English, metaphoric extension to "frank" first recorded 1670s (cf. French candide "open, frank, ingenuous, sincere"). Of photography, 1929. Related: Candidly; candidness.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper