direct and unreserved in speech; straightforward; sincere.
Her criticism of my work was frank but absolutely fair.
without inhibition or subterfuge; transparent; undisguised.
The letter contained a frank appeal for financial aid.
Pathology. clinically evident; unmistakable.
frank blood.
Archaic. liberal or generous.
Obsolete. free.
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.
the privilege of having letters, packages, etc., transmitted free of charge.
a letter, package, etc., transmitted free of charge by special privilege.
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.
to convey (a person) free of charge.
to enable to pass or go freely.
to frank a visitor through customs.
to facilitate the comings and goings of (a person), especially in society.
A sizable inheritance will frank you faster than anything else.
to secure exemption for.
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.
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.
(in the Levant) any native of western Europe.
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.
Ilya Mikhailovich 1908–90, Russian physicist: Nobel Prize 1958.
Leonhard 1882–1961, German novelist.
Robert, 1924–2019, U.S. photographer and filmmaker, born in Switzerland.
Waldo, 1889–1967, U.S. novelist and social critic.
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
to mark (a letter, parcel, etc) with an official mark or signature, indicating the right of free delivery
to facilitate or assist (a person) to come and go, pass, or enter easily
to obtain immunity for or exempt (a person)
an official mark or signature affixed to a letter, parcel, etc, ensuring free delivery or delivery without stamps
the privilege, issued to certain people and establishments, entitling them to delivery without postage stamps
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
Robert . born 1924, US photographer and film maker, born in Switzerland; best known for his photographic book The Americans (1959)
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.
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.
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
An Americanism dating back to 1900–05; by shortening
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
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Trying facilitating a frank conversation about what needs to be in order.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
That the memoir is so very frank stirs up trouble with her boyfriend, a much younger man.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
And I appreciate the frank and forgiving light the play sheds on long-term marriage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
As part of the deal, Matlala is required to give honest and frank testimony at future trials.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
Denna gave me a frank look, gesturing sarcastically at the wreckage of the cabin.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Frank struggled to connect with the Tottenham fans and was criticised for playing with a "safety-first" approach.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
I would totally hide Anne Frank, she reasoned.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Tottenham had three managers last season, with Thomas Frank managing less than eight months in charge before being sacked after a dismal start to the season.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
When the possessive and paranoid Frank Ford runs into Margaret as she’s scurrying to meet his wife, Alice, he pointedly remarks, “I think, if your husbands were dead, you two would marry.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Frank was trained as a waiter and later became Mount Vernon’s head butler, a crucial and prestigious job in a household like Washington’s.
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
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
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 freer, franker discussion of many things that their parents would scarcely have dared mention, yet I feel sure the moral tone is distinctly higher.
From The Meaning of Evolution by Schmucker, Samuel Christian
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
In framing this as the frankest discussion of their marriage to date, they manage to get away with saying very little.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 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
And he might have read in her face, had he chosen, the sweetest and frankest appeal.
From Chippinge Borough by Weyman, Stanley J.
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.
