honesty
Americannoun
plural
honesties-
the quality or fact of being honest; uprightness and fairness.
- Antonyms:
- dishonesty
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truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness.
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freedom from deceit or fraud.
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Botany. a plant, Lunaria annua, of the mustard family, having clusters of purple flowers and semitransparent, satiny pods.
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Obsolete. chastity.
noun
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the condition of being honest
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sincerity or fairness
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archaic virtue or respect
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Also called: moonwort. satinpod. a purple-flowered SE European plant, Lunaria annua, cultivated for its flattened silvery pods, which are used for indoor decoration: family Brassicaceae (crucifers)
Related Words
See honor.
Other Word Forms
- overhonesty noun
Etymology
Origin of honesty
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English honeste, from Middle French, from Latin honestās; honest, -ty 2
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.
As Charlie and Emma reconcile their relationship with her past, her honesty reframes everything, even with their friends.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
"Above all, I'm especially in awe of Duffy - for her honesty and courage."
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
What seized Roger Ebert’s attention was the emotional force of stark honesty, and this quality also explains his own power as a critic.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
“The courts have repeatedly said that the government can regulate environmental claims to require honesty, and I don’t see how this would be any different.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
I’ll chat with him and, if I get a good vibe, he might be the kind of guy whose honesty will make me face myself.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
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.
