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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 Grande’s point, and to be especially frank, that is more on those people and how their support systems help them better understand those images than her.

From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026

And under Xi, Zhu's style of open, frank talk by officials has been replaced by a much more staid, closed-off approach.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

“It’s important to get that balance where you have time alone with your family and with your friends, where people feel like you can have a safe and frank exchange,” she added.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026

And Prior was frank about that over the offseason.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

Nat leaned back now and surveyed Kit with frank interest.

From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare

Last week, the blues rock band canceled its Hollywood Bowl concert because longtime drummer Frank Beard had health issues, Rolling Stone first reported.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

“Social Security is strengthening our disability programs and making the disability determination process better, faster and higher-quality to serve the American public,” Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano said in a statement.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

The Sky Blues will return to the Premier League in August for the first time in 25 years after gaining promotion under manager Frank Lampard.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

“In the past, advanced manufacturing was led by Germany and Japan,” said Frank Jiang, vice president of international business at Topstar, one of China’s largest industrial robotics and machinery manufacturers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Another witness said that both Alfred and Frank had picked up rocks.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

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

Other nocturnal blossoms deploy scents like siren calls: The creamy whorls of the moonflower vine hint at vanilla and sunscreen, while the heavy bells of brugmansia are franker and muskier in aura, verging on narcotic.

From New York Times ● Oct. 11, 2021

Maybe it would open the door for a franker conversation about his functionality that he is as yet too ashamed to broach?

From Slate ● Jan. 25, 2021

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

Strange how it amuses one to see little bits of oneself on paper, and the less garnished and franker the truths the more entertaining it is.

From The Diary of a U-boat Commander With an Introduction and Explanatory Notes by Etienne by Sir Stephen King-Hall

In 2020 your sister published “Open Book,” which is one of the frankest celebrity memoirs I’ve read.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2025

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

He had one of the handsomest faces I had ever looked upon; eyes of the frankest blue, a most engaging air, and a smile that was almost irresistibly winning.

From By Wit of Woman by Arthur W. (Arthur Williams) Marchmont