frankly

adverb

frank·​ly ˈfraŋ-klē 

1

: in a frank manner

spoke frankly

2

: in truth : indeed

Frankly, I don't know.

Synonyms of frankly

• honestly
• actually
• really
• indeed

Examples of frankly in a Sentence

You can speak frankly to us.

frankly, I'd rather stay at home than go to the movies tonight

Recent Examples on the Web

An East Hampton beach day plus a container of Round Swamp chicken salad is frankly my idea of heaven. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 July 2026

Not to mention, frankly, whether the automakers themselves can be trusted with such sensitive data. — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 9 July 2026

The primary beneficiary of this advertising blitz is, quite frankly, the Beckham brand itself. — Shann Biglione, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

And a lot of it is trying to please her dad and the legacy of the ranch and trying to keep the ranch alive, quite frankly, just as a businesswoman. — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 7 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1537, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for frankly

• blankly

Kids Definition

frankly

adverb

frank·​ly ˈfraŋ-klē 

1

: in a frank manner

you can speak frankly to us

2

: to tell the truth

frankly, I don't think it's wise