straightforward
Americanadjective
-
going or directed straight ahead.
a straightforward gaze.
-
not roundabout or evasive; direct.
straightforward criticism;
a straightforward approach to a problem.
-
free from ambiguity; clear.
straightforward instructions.
-
free from crookedness or deceit; honest.
straightforward in one's dealings.
- Antonyms:
- devious
adverb
adjective
-
(of a person) honest, frank, or simple
-
(of a task, etc) simple; easy
adverb
Other Word Forms
- straightforwardly adverb
- straightforwardness noun
- unstraightforward adjective
Etymology
Origin of straightforward
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.
He did not say yes in the straightforward sense.
From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026
The process, he writes, is straightforward: “Contribute to a nondeductible traditional IRA → convert it to a Roth → report it on IRS form 8606.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
The three-phase, $30-billion-dollar plan for lunar dominance is relatively straightforward.
From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026
He is famous for tinkering with music until the last possible minute—sometimes even altering albums online after he puts them out—and the release of “Bully” was anything but straightforward.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
After all, she had seen the boy riding, and it looked straightforward enough.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
