frank

1
[ frangk ]
See synonyms for frank on Thesaurus.com
adjective,frank·er, frank·est.
  1. direct and unreserved in speech; straightforward; sincere: Her criticism of my work was frank but absolutely fair.

  2. without inhibition or subterfuge; transparent; undisguised: The letter contained a frank appeal for financial aid.

  1. Pathology. clinically evident; unmistakable: frank blood.

  2. Archaic. liberal or generous.

  3. Obsolete. free.

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.

  1. 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.

  1. to enable to pass or go freely: to frank a visitor through customs.

  2. to facilitate the comings and goings of (a person), especially in society: A sizable inheritance will frank you faster than anything else.

  3. to secure exemption for.

  4. 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.

Origin of frank

1
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

synonym study For frank

1. 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 words for frank

Opposites for frank

Other words from frank

  • frank·a·ble, adjective
  • frank·er, noun

Words Nearby frank

Other definitions for frank (2 of 4)

frank2
[ frangk ]

nounInformal.

Origin of frank

2
An Americanism dating back to 1900–05; by shortening

Other definitions for Frank (3 of 4)

Frank1
[ frangk ]

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.

Origin of Frank

3
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

Other definitions for Frank (4 of 4)

Frank2
[ frangk, frahngk; Russian, frahnk; German frahngk ]

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. Il·ya Mi·khai·lo·vich [ee-lyah myi-khahy-luh-vyich], /iˌlyɑ myɪˈxaɪ lə vyɪtʃ/, 1908–90, Russian physicist: Nobel Prize 1958.

  1. Le·on·hard [ley-awn-hahrt], /ˈleɪ ɔn hɑrt/, 1882–1961, German novelist.

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

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

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use frank in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for frank (1 of 3)

frank

/ (fræŋk) /


adjective
  1. honest and straightforward in speech or attitude: a frank person

  2. outspoken or blunt

  1. open and avowed; undisguised: frank interest

  2. an obsolete word for free, generous

verb(tr)
  1. mainly British 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

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

  2. 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

Origin of frank

1
C13: from Old French franc, from Medieval Latin francus free; identical with Frank (in Frankish Gaul only members of this people enjoyed full freedom)

Derived forms of frank

  • frankable, adjective
  • franker, noun
  • frankness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for Frank (2 of 3)

Frank1

/ (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

Origin of Frank

2
Old English Franca; related to Old High German Franko; perhaps from the name of a typical Frankish weapon (compare Old English franca javelin)

British Dictionary definitions for Frank (3 of 3)

Frank2

/ (Dutch 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)

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