Candor

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkæn.də(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. Complete honesty and openness in expressing one's thoughts and feelings without holding back
2. The quality of being frank, sincere, and forthright in speech or expression without concealment or deception
3. Honesty combined with openness that allows someone to speak their mind freely without fear or reservation

Etymology: The Latin "candor" originally meant brightness or whiteness, and it comes from "candeo," meaning "to shine." That literal sense of gleaming purity is the root of the modern meaning. A surface that shone clearly and without blemish was, in Latin, a thing of pale brightness, and the same image was carried over to the mind: a person who was open and transparent, with nothing hidden, was seen as clear in the way light is clear. The English word "candour," spelled in the British manner, keeps this metaphor. "Candor" in American spelling is the same word, and both trace back to the Latin noun. The shift from a physical quality of light to a moral quality of frankness happened in Latin itself, so English inherited a word that already carried a sense of openness.

Synonyms: honesty, frankness, openness

Antonyms: dishonesty, deceit