honesty

noun

hon·​es·​ty ˈä-nə-stē 

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

[probably so called from the translucence of the siliques] : 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

Synonyms of honesty

• integrity
• sincerity
• truthfulness
• reliability

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

The hacks go underground because honesty about AI is unrewarded at every level. — Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Caught between instinctive honesty and political caution, Grossman perfected a style that relied less on rhetoric than on the power of witness. — Madeleine Wulfahrt, New Yorker, 8 July 2026

Salinger reveals Holden’s gentleness, itself a rejection of masculine norms of strength, through a determined honesty that is antithetical to the boasting in which his male peers repeatedly engage. — Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026

Intellectual honesty combined with initiative is a winning combination. — Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2026

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

Phrases Containing honesty

• honesty is the best policy
• in all honesty

Rhymes for honesty

• dishonesty

Kids Definition

honesty

noun

hon·​es·​ty ˈän-ə-stē 

: the quality or state of being honest