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Synonyms

frankness

American  
[frangk-nis] / ˈfræŋk nɪs /

noun

  1. plainness of speech; candor; openness.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of frankness

First recorded in 1545–55; frank 1 + -ness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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Army, the world of avant-garde film, the gay-liberation movement, the popular-music industry—and speaks of them with bemused frankness.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 26, 2026

Legally, I assume there’s no way around the latter and, as queasy as it is to stomach, the frankness of it fits the tone.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 5, 2025

Portraits come in many incarnations—the rigorous realism of Holbein, the rococo elegance of Gainsborough, the harsh frankness of Lucian Freud, to name just a few.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 28, 2025

Judge John Woosley ruled that in “ ‘Ulysses,’ in spite of its unusual frankness, I do not detect anywhere the leer of the sensualist.”

From Slate Aug. 21, 2025

This priest’s frankness had touched me more than a decree.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

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