frankly

American  

[frangk-lee] / ˈfræŋk li /

adverb

1. in a frank manner; freely; candidly; openly; plainly.

   He presented his arguments frankly and objectively.

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frankly British  

/ ˈfræŋklɪ /

adverb

1. (sentence modifier) in truth; to be honest

   frankly, I can't bear him

2. in a frank manner

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Etymology

Origin of frankly

First recorded in 1530–40; frank ¹ + -ly

Explanation

To say something frankly is to be completely honest and straightforward. It's unusual when a politician answers reporters' questions frankly. When someone's frank, they are plainspoken and truthful, and when you communicate frankly, your words have this quality. Telling people frankly that you need their help, or expressing criticism frankly but kindly can be difficult at times, but it's something to strive for. Frank and frankly have a Medieval Latin root, francus, "free, or at liberty."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

frankly

And frankly, a film as pleasant but ephemeral as this isn’t going to push democracy any further into the dark.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

“The fact that the entire car didn’t just concertina and crush us is down to the design of that car, which is frankly astonishing.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

“We not only get more cost-effective results by choosing models carefully based on the work that they’re going to do, but frankly, they’re more performant when they’re smaller,” Schmidt said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Speaking in central London, Polanksi said higher temperatures were posing a "threat to our way of life" on multiple fronts, whilst footage of wildfires across Europe were "frankly apocalyptic".

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

“The message was almost finished, anyway,” Kate said with a terrific yawn, “and frankly, I’m toasted. Can’t we call it a night?”

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart