Definition of honestynext
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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun honesty contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of honesty are honor, integrity, and probity. While all these words mean "uprightness of character or action," honesty implies a refusal to lie, steal, or deceive in any way.

When is honor a more appropriate choice than honesty?

While the synonyms honor and honesty are close in meaning, honor suggests an active or anxious regard for the standards of one's profession, calling, or position.

When would integrity be a good substitute for honesty?

The meanings of integrity and honesty largely overlap; however, integrity implies trustworthiness and incorruptibility to a degree that one is incapable of being false to a trust, responsibility, or pledge.

When could probity be used to replace honesty?

While in some cases nearly identical to honesty, probity implies tried and proven honesty or integrity.

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of honesty Anyone who has spoken at a funeral can appreciate the delicate balance of honesty and sentimentality in effect on Hold Onto Me Infinity, a pop album about grief. H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 2 June 2026 Companies are, in effect, caught in a transparency trap, honesty carries a social penalty, but concealment carries a steeper one. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 June 2026 Anne Enright on the one-sided contract of honesty. Literary Hub, 2 June 2026 This month brings growth through emotional honesty, relationships and responsibility. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for honesty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honesty
Noun
  • Our goal is to maintain the integrity of this iconic brand and create a great television event so viewers watching decide to come to New York and see these shows.
    Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
  • Donate today to preserve the quality and integrity of local journalism.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 June 2026
Noun
  • In some ways, the histories of this school call back to those written in the 19th century, casting the country’s origin as providential—not quite an immaculate conception, but not far off—and emphasizing the morality and timelessness of America’s founding creed.
    Yoni Appelbaum, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026
  • Lestat justifies his, uh, connection with Gabriella by arguing that vampires transcend petty human concepts like conventional morality.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 7 June 2026
Noun
  • Not to be outshined, Casio G-Shock’s Grogu model branded as the Baby-G comes in a distinctive bright neon-green hue in honor of Din Djarin’s little Force-wielding apprentice.
    Jeff Spry, Space.com, 2 June 2026
  • None of this felt realistic, especially not Colman Domingo’s sawed-off-shotgun-wielding Ali shooting up Alamo’s club in his mentee Rue’s honor, shattering a mask of poise that had defined his character (like the whiplash of Khaleesi’s end of Game of Thrones rogue era).
    Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 June 2026
Noun
  • The piece has to throb and, well, that is not the first verb that comes to mind in director Jonathan Butterell’s production, with all due respect for the sincerity of the effort and the intermittent effectiveness of the storytelling.
    Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026
  • But in those cases and others, the defendants took concrete steps that demonstrated their sincerity and conscious awareness of the threatening nature of their speech.
    Wayne Unger, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
Noun
  • There is an emphatic truthfulness to the story and the performances that anchor it, which is both refreshing and innovative.
    Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Some people thought the character was too much, but Danica managed to make her just that without losing the truthfulness, and the ending wouldn’t have worked without that.
    Annika Pham, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Through its characters, the book stages an argument about the virtues of various types of maps—those that are measured, those that are recollected, those that are dreamed.
    Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
  • In a world of volatility, interdependence, and unintended consequences, Humility is not a soft virtue.
    Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Noun
  • Seydoux asks me in a moment of frankness.
    Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 18 May 2026
  • Her love for the city is palpable, imbued with her frankness, her fun, her queerness, and her history.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The chemistry has therefore emerged as a promising option for large-scale energy storage, where cost, resource availability, and operational reliability are critical factors.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 7 June 2026
  • Its value depends on a combination of its performance on various benchmarks, reliability, latency, context length, integration into business systems, and the skill of the operator.
    James Broughel, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Honesty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honesty. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.

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