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
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of straightforward
Explanation
Straightforward means direct in your approach. When you have a favor to ask of a friend, don't beat around the bush––say what you need in a straightforward way. If you want to propose marriage, you might go for the straightforward approach, saying, "Want to get married?" over dinner. Straightforward can also mean honest. If you have straightforward intentions, it means you're upfront about what you're trying to do.
Vocabulary lists containing straightforward
Nothing But the Truth
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And Then There Were None
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
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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.
"The Secret Service's focus is straightforward: to ensure everyone attending the game can enjoy the game and have a safe experience, while we carry out our responsibility to protect the President of the United States."
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
The researchers found a straightforward way to reduce the system's symmetry.
From Science Daily • Jun. 6, 2026
There’s also a straightforward financial explanation: In a panic, you sell what you can, not what you want.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
Her approach this year is simple and straightforward.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
Accurately measuring parallax was far from easy, particularly as it required a more exact measure of time than any sixteenth-century clock could provide, but showing that there was no measurable parallax was much more straightforward.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
