noun
honesty
ON-ih-stee
noun
1
The quality of being truthful and sincere.
"Honesty is the foundation of any good relationship."
"I respect his honesty, even when it's hard to hear."
2
A plant grown for its papery, translucent seed pods.
"She arranged dried honesty stems in a vase for winter decoration."
How to Use Honesty
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBeing truthful and sincere in what you say and do.
Common pairings
brutal honesty
in all honesty
a policy of honesty
Word Forms
honesties plural
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Etymology
From Old French honesté, ultimately from Latin honestus; the plant sense comes from the way its seeds show through its papery pods.