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• up-front
  up-front

  adjective

  invested or paid in advance or as beginning capital.
• up front
  up front

  In the forward section, as of an airplane or theater. For example, We'd like two seats as far up front as possible . [First half of 1900s]

up-front

American  

[uhp-fruhnt] / ˈʌpˈfrʌnt /

adjective

1. invested or paid in advance or as beginning capital.

   an up-front fee of five percent and an additional five percent when the job is done.

2. honest; candid; straightforward.

   He's very up-front about discussing his past.

3. conspicuous or prominent.

   The company has an up-front position in its industry.

4. located in the front or forward section.

   to request up-front seats on a plane.

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adverb

1. as an initial investment, beginning capital, or an advance payment.

   They'll need a half-million dollars up-front before opening the business.

2. before other payments, deductions, or returning a profit.

   Estimated operating expenses will be deducted up-front.

up front Idioms  

1. In the forward section, as of an airplane or theater. For example, We'd like two seats as far up front as possible . [First half of 1900s]

2. Paid in advance, as in We need at least half of the money for the production up front . [ Colloquial ; c. 1930]

3. Candid, direct, as in Now tell me straight up front what you think of this outfit . [Second half of 1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of up-front

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Among the changes is an increase in out-of-pocket limits for bronze plans, which have been chosen this year by a record 40% enrollees because of their lower up-front costs.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

Some companies will charge an up-front fee of hundreds of dollars and then a monthly fee to enroll you in a loan-repayment plan and maintain that status.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

And it would speed up-front payments to policyholders whose homes have burned down.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2026

In specific cases, venues should still be able to generate secure, up-front revenue that can be re-invested - such as through seat licences.

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025

I’d been pretty up-front about what I thought of him spilling his guts to Lance, told him I was super-pissed.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx