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.
The three-phase, $30-billion-dollar plan for lunar dominance is relatively straightforward.
From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026
Mr. Phillips’s proposal is relatively straightforward: “To discuss the lives we think we want; and in so far as we are able . . . to try them out.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
Be very simple and straightforward with a question like, “Are you a fiduciary?”
From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026
It actually worked—fasting allowed him to gradually introduce foods back into his diet, revealing a straightforward gluten intolerance, a condition that, indeed, can be linked to nasal issues.
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026
A smaller number of people—more than ten, fewer than twenty—made a straightforward bet against the entire multi-trillion-dollar subprime mortgage market and, by extension, the global financial system.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
