Honesty — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈä-nə-stē/ hon·es·ty

Meaning & Definition of Honesty

Honesty (noun)

  1. adherence to the facts, sincerity
  2. fairness and straightforwardness of conduct
  3. any of a genus (Lunaria) of European and southwest Asian plants of the mustard family that have toothed hairy leaves, small white or violet flowers, and flat silvery seedpods that are siliques; especially, a European biennial (Lunaria annua) that is often grown for its ornamental disk-shaped seedpods, money plant

Honesty (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. devotion to telling the truth

    "George Washington has gone down in history for his honesty"

    similar: integrity, probity, truthfulness, veracity, verity
    related: honor, honorableness, incorruptibility, rectitude, righteousness, right-mindedness, scrupulosity, scrupulousness, uprightness, artlessness, candidness, candor, forthrightness, frankness, good faith, guilelessness, ingenuousness, plainspokenness, sincerity, straightforwardness, dependability, reliability, reliableness, trustability, trustiness, trustworthiness, accuracy, objectivity, authenticity, correctness, genuineness, truth, credibility
    opposite: deceit, deceitfulness, dishonesty, lying, mendaciousness, mendacity, untruthfulness
    near: artifice, cozenage, crookedness, deception, dissembling, dissimulation, double-dealing, dupery, duplicity, fakery, falseness, falsity, fraudulentness, hypocrisy, insincerity, two-facedness, beguilement, craftiness, cunning, cunningness, furtiveness, guile, indirection, insidiousness, oiliness, perfidy, slickness, slipperiness, slyness, smoothness, treacherousness, trickery, underhandedness, unscrupulousness, wiliness, equivocation, prevarication, exaggeration, inaccuracy

  2. conduct that conforms to an accepted standard of right and wrong

    "he's known for his honesty in business dealings"

    similar: character, decency, goodness, integrity, morality, probity, rectitude, righteousness, rightness, uprightness, virtue, virtuousness
    related: high-mindedness, honor, incorruptibility, irreproachability, irreproachableness, right-mindedness, scrupulosity, scrupulousness, appropriateness, correctness, decorousness, decorum, etiquette, fitness, propriety, seemliness, ethics, morals
    opposite: badness, evil, evildoing, immorality, iniquity, sin, villainy, wickedness
    near: impropriety, indecency, indecorum, indiscretion, debauchery, degeneracy, degradation, depravity, perversion, pervertedness, sinfulness, crookedness, dishonesty, underhandedness, unscrupulousness, lowness, meanness, viciousness, vileness, corruption

  3. faithfulness to high moral standards

    "she knew she could count on her students' honesty, even if she left the classroom for a few moments during the test"

    similar: honor, integrity, probity, rectitude, righteousness, uprightness
    related: blamelessness, character, conscientiousness, decency, fairness, high-mindedness, incorruptibility, irreproachability, irreproachableness, justice, morality, nobility, reputability, respectability, right-mindedness, scrupulousness, virtue, virtuousness
    opposite: baseness, dishonor, lowness
    near: corruptibility, corruption, corruptness, debasement, debauchery, decadence, degeneracy, degradation, depravity, disgrace, disgracefulness, disreputableness, dissipatedness, dissipation, dissoluteness, looseness, perversion, pervertedness, profligacy, shamelessness, venality, blameworthiness, criminality, crookedness, dishonesty, immorality, unrighteousness, unscrupulousness, knavery, rascality, roguishness, meanness, reprehensibleness, rottenness, sinfulness, vileness, villainy, wickedness, wretchedness

  4. the free expression of one's true feelings and opinions

    "I am speaking with all honesty when I say that your apple pie is the best I've ever tasted"

    similar: bluntness, candidness, candor, directness, forthrightness, frankness, openheartedness, openness, outspokenness, plainness, plainspokenness, plumpness, straightforwardness, unguardedness, unreserve, unreservedness
    related: earnestness, sincerity, sobriety, artlessness, genuineness, naïveté, simplicity, unsophistication, communicativeness, freedom, license, uninhibitedness, unrestrainedness, unrestraint
    opposite: dissembling, dissimulation, indirection
    near: circuitousness, evasiveness, secretiveness, inhibition, reserve, restraint, reticence, shyness, diplomacy, tact

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Honesty

The most common words with a similar meaning to Honesty:

integrity, probity, truthfulness, veracity, verity, character, decency, goodness, morality, rectitude, righteousness, rightness, uprightness, virtue, virtuousness, honor, bluntness, candidness, candor, directness, forthrightness, frankness, openheartedness, openness, outspokenness, plainness, plainspokenness, plumpness, straightforwardness, unguardedness, unreserve, unreservedness

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Honesty

Words with the opposite meaning of Honesty:

deceit, deceitfulness, dishonesty, lying, mendaciousness, mendacity, untruthfulness, badness, evil, evildoing, immorality, iniquity, sin, villainy, wickedness, baseness, dishonor, lowness, dissembling, dissimulation, indirection

Related Words for Honesty

honorableness, incorruptibility, right-mindedness, scrupulosity, scrupulousness, artlessness, good faith, guilelessness, ingenuousness, sincerity, dependability, reliability, reliableness, trustability, trustiness, trustworthiness, accuracy, objectivity, authenticity, correctness, genuineness, truth, credibility, high-mindedness, irreproachability, irreproachableness, appropriateness, decorousness, decorum, etiquette

Near Antonyms of Honesty

artifice, cozenage, crookedness, deception, double-dealing, dupery, duplicity, fakery, falseness, falsity, fraudulentness, hypocrisy, insincerity, two-facedness, beguilement, craftiness, cunning, cunningness, furtiveness, guile, insidiousness, oiliness, perfidy, slickness, slipperiness, slyness, smoothness, treacherousness, trickery, underhandedness

Word Forms of Honesty

Inflections: honesties

Origin & Etymology of Honesty

Middle English honeste, honestie "honorable position, good name, propriety of behavior, moral purity, chastity," borrowed from Anglo-French honesté, borrowed from Latin honestāt-, honestās "honorableness, moral rectitude, decency," by haplology from *honestitāt-, *honestitās, from honestus "of good repute, morally worthy" + -itāt-, -itās -ity; (sense 2) probably so called from the translucence of the siliques honest:1

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Honesty

Words & Phrases Containing Honesty

honesty is the best policy, in all honesty

Frequently Asked Questions about Honesty

What does "Honesty" mean?

"Honesty" means adherence to the facts, sincerity. As a noun, it is defined as: adherence to the facts, sincerity. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Honesty"?

Other words for "Honesty" include integrity, probity, truthfulness, veracity, verity, character, decency and goodness. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Honesty" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Honesty"?

There are 85 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Honesty". Common alternatives include integrity, probity, truthfulness, veracity, verity, character, decency, goodness, morality and rectitude.

What is the opposite of "Honesty"?

Antonyms of "Honesty" include deceit, deceitfulness, dishonesty, lying, mendaciousness, mendacity, untruthfulness and badness. Near antonyms include artifice, cozenage, crookedness and deception.

How do you use "Honesty" in a sentence?

Examples of "Honesty" in a sentence: "George Washington has gone down in history for his honesty"; "he's known for his honesty in business dealings"; "she knew she could count on her students' honesty, even if she left the classroom for a few moments during the test".

Is "Honesty" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Honesty" is a noun.

Is "Honesty" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Honesty" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Honesty"?

"Honesty" is pronounced /ˈä-nə-stē/ and divided into syllables as hon·es·ty.