FRANKNESS

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does frankness mean? 

• FRANKNESS (noun)
  The noun FRANKNESS has 2 senses:

1. the quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech

2. the trait of being blunt and outspoken

  Familiarity information: FRANKNESS used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FRANKNESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

candidness; candor; candour; directness; forthrightness; frankness

Hypernyms ("frankness" is a kind of...):

honestness; honesty (the quality of being honest)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "frankness"):

ingenuousness (openly straightforward or frank)

Derivation:

frank (characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The trait of being blunt and outspoken

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

frankness; outspokenness

Hypernyms ("frankness" is a kind of...):

communicativeness (the trait of being communicative)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "frankness"):

bluffness (good-natured frankness)

Derivation:

frank (characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion)

 Context examples 

You will excuse the frankness of this report, will you not, sir?

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I agree with you that complete frankness, however painful it may be to me, is the best policy in this desperate situation to which James’s folly and jealousy have reduced us.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There was mild protest in his pale blue eyes, and withal a timid frankness and manliness that quite won me to him.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Her mild but earnest eyes met mine with their own beautiful frankness, and there was no change in her gentle face.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

My character has ever been celebrated for its sincerity and frankness, and in a cause of such moment as this, I shall certainly not depart from it.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

The ease of his manner freed me from painful restraint: the friendly frankness, as correct as cordial, with which he treated me, drew me to him.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

When he did perceive and acknowledge her, however, it was done with all his usual frankness and good humour.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

It would have been easy for him to get out of it; but his natural impulse was for frankness, and he remembered his old resolve to be frank, no matter what happened.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

“I will tell you,” said Holmes, “and the reason why I tell you is that I hope frankness may beget frankness.”

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"I kissed her," began Demi, with artless frankness.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)