honesty

noun

hon·​es·​ty ˈä-nə-stē How to pronounce honesty (audio)
plural honesties
1
a
: adherence to the facts : sincerity
doubted the honesty of the witness
b
: fairness and straightforwardness of conduct
calling for honesty in politics
2
: 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 sense 1
3
obsolete : chastity
Choose the Right Synonym for honesty

honesty, honor, integrity, probity mean uprightness of character or action.

honesty implies a refusal to lie, steal, or deceive in any way.

honor suggests an active or anxious regard for the standards of one's profession, calling, or position.

integrity implies trustworthiness and incorruptibility to a degree that one is incapable of being false to a trust, responsibility, or pledge.

probity implies tried and proven honesty or integrity.

Examples of honesty in a Sentence

She is admired for her kindness and her honesty. He demands honesty from everyone who works for him. He didn't even have enough honesty to tell me he was leaving.
Recent Examples on the Web An emotional and challenging role, Gage brought such honesty and abandon to the role that we were left truly moved by his performance every night. Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024 But that kind of unfettered honesty means Sevigny risks colliding with a media world that doesn’t do nuance. Brent Lang, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024 This year taught me to listen to myself and no one else…To not care about optics and instead invest in honesty…Thank you, thank you, thank you to this life for teaching me. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Mar. 2024 Grimes, who believes that good music is rooted in honesty, wanted to challenge himself to create something fans could relate to. Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 That’s also because the movie has a quasi-magical force for good in the lovable lug who comes on like a loose cannon, threatening disaster at every turn, but somehow, with guilelessness and honesty, always manages to emerge smelling like roses. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 This honesty allows leaders to align their actions with their values, which can develop a leadership style that is consistent and transparent. Sandy Harvey, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 And trust in most institutions has reached another new low, with Gallup finding that Americans’ ratings of peoples’ ethics and honesty have declined for 12 out of 13 jobs in the past year. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 Disclose your feelings, and embrace a meaningful relationship with honesty and intentions. Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'honesty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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 — more at honest entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of honesty was in the 15th century

Cite this Entry

“Honesty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honesty. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

honesty

noun
hon·​es·​ty ˈän-ə-stē How to pronounce honesty (audio)
: the quality or state of being honest

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