honest

English

Etymology

From Old French honeste, from Latin honestus, from honor. For the verb, see Latin honestare to clothe or adorn with honour, and compare French honester.

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˈɒnɪst/
• (US) IPA: /ˈɑnɪst/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

honest (comparative honester or more honest, superlative honestest or most honest)

1. (of a person or institution) Scrupulous with regard to telling the truth; not given to swindling, lying, or fraud; upright.

   We're the most honest people you will ever come across.

2. (of a statement) True, especially as far as is known by the person making the statement; fair; unbiased.

   an honest account of events; honest reporting

3. In good faith; without malice.

   an honest mistake

4. (of a measurement device) Accurate.

   an honest scale

5. Authentic; full.

   an honest day's work

6. Earned or acquired in a fair manner.

   an honest dollar

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:honest

Antonyms

• dishonest

Derived terms

• honest as the day is long
• honesty

Translations

scrupulous with regard to telling the truth

• Arabic: نزيه (ar) (naziih) m
• Armenian: ազնիվ (hy) (azniv)
• Basque: zintzo (eu)
• Cebuano: matinod-anon
• Chinese: trad. 誠實, simpl. 诚实 (pinyin: chéngshí), 正直 (cmn) (zhèngzhí), trad. 老實, simpl. 老实 (pinyin: lǎoshi)
• Czech: poctivý (cs) m
• Danish: ærlig (da)
• Dutch: eerlijk (nl)
• Esperanto: honesta (eo)
• Estonian: aus (et)
• Faroese: ærligur (fo)
• Finnish: rehellinen (fi)
• French: honnête (fr)
• German: ehrlich (de), aufrichtig (de)
• Greek: τίμιος (el) (tímios) m, έντιμος (el) (éntimos) m
• Hungarian: őszinte (hu)
• Icelandic: heiðarlegur (is) m, ráðvandur (is) m, sómakær (is) m, réttsýnn (is) m

• Irish: macánta (ga)
• Italian: onesto (it) m, onesta (it) f
• Japanese: 正直 (ja) (しょうじき, shōjiki), 誠実 (ja) (せいじつ, seijitsu)
• Jèrriais: honnête
• Norwegian: ærlig (no)
• Polish: uczciwy (pl) m
• Portuguese: honesto (pt) m, honesta (pt) f, sincero (pt) m, sincera (pt) f
• Romanian: cinstit (ro), onest (ro)
• Russian: честный (ru) (čéstnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: ionraic (gd), ceart (gd)
• Slovak: poctivý (sk)
• Spanish: honesto (es), sincero (es)
• Swahili: halali (sw)
• Swedish: ärlig (sv)
• Thai: ซื่อสัตย์ (th)
• Volapük: snatik (vo)

of a statement: true, fair, unbiased

• Finnish: rehellinen (fi)

in good faith, without malice

• Finnish: rehellinen (fi)

of a measurement device: accurate

• Finnish: rehellinen (fi)

authentic, full

• Finnish: rehellinen (fi)

earned or acquired in a fair manner

• Finnish: rehellinen (fi)

• Icelandic: heiðarlega fenginn (is) m

Verb

honest (third-person singular simple present honests, present participle honesting, simple past and past participle honested)

1. (obsolete) To adorn or grace; to honour; to make becoming, appropriate, or honourable.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Archbishop Sandys to this entry?)

External links

• honest in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• honest in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911