Aldous HuxleyChristoper Morley
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Candor comes from Latin candēre, meaning "to shine or glow." That origin is reflected in the word's early uses referring to brightness or unstained purity and innocence, which are the sources of today's familiar use of candor for unquestionably honest expression.
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Candor: It Can Be Refreshing
Candor, related to the adjective candid, refers to straightforward honesty or frankness in speech or expression. The fact that it is frequently preceded by the adjective refreshing suggests that it is often unexpected, a shift from guarded or euphemistic language:
This is perhaps the busiest and craziest time of the year for device-case maker Brian Holmes, and he told me today with refreshing candor that “I am about to lose my mind.”
Julio Ojeda-Zapata, St. Paul Pioneer Press, 9 Sept. 2016They are openly afraid of starting a family and making mistakes, and this refreshing candor between characters is what makes the show one of the best rom-coms on TV.
Julia Edelman, People, 8 Apr. 2016
Examples of candor in a Sentence
Joe Klein, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2002
People are human; they are fallible. I concede with painful candor and a heavy heart that the adage applies to me and to my generation of American leadership regarding Vietnam.
—Robert S. McNamara, In Retrospect, 1995
… thoughtful critics lamented what they designated Roosevelt's deviousness, his lack of candor …
—Doris Kearns Goodwin, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 1994
One hardly knows which to admire more, the candor of the author or the forbearance of his wife and his buddy, who somehow manage to refrain from cuffing him smartly upside the head.
—Jay McInerney, New York Times Book Review, 31 Mar. 1991
She spoke with candor about racism.
I was impressed by the candor of his statement.
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025
Officers of the court have a duty of candor to the court and an obligation not to file fictitious lawsuits that have no basis in fact or law.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 21 Apr. 2025
Understanding the fine balance between candor and tact can make the difference between being seen as an innovative truth-teller or a disruptive troublemaker.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Speaking with candor, Russell immediately addresses Kilmer’s reputation for being ill-tempered on set early in his career.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for candor
Cite this Entry
“Candor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/candor. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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