forthright

1 of 3

adjective

forth·​right ˈfȯrth-ˌrīt How to pronounce forthright (audio)
1
: free from ambiguity or evasiveness : going straight to the point
a forthright critic
was forthright in appraising the problem
2
: notably simple in style or quality
forthright furniture
3
archaic : proceeding straight on
forthrightly adverb
forthrightness noun

forthright

2 of 3

adverb

1
archaic
a
: directly forward
b
: without hesitation : frankly
2
archaic : at once

forthright

3 of 3

noun

archaic
: a straight path

Examples of forthright in a Sentence

Adjective she sometimes was a little too forthright for her own good and ended up saying things that inadvertently offended people I appreciate your forthright explanation of the situation.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Japan’s Ministry of Defense has been forthright in acknowledging that the demographic crisis will affect national security. Tom Le, Foreign Affairs, 28 Mar. 2025 In an industry as opaque as art, where dealers are rarely forthright about their businesses, the most reliable economic data can sometimes be the party budgets. Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 26 Mar. 2025 And when those two sat down in February to discuss the plans for this season’s deadline, the Flyers GM was forthright and indicated that he’d be forced to move him if someone stepped up and met the asking price. Chris Johnston, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025 Firm tannins, easy drinking with rich and forthright bouillon-like flavors. Tom Mullen, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for forthright

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English, from Old English forthriht, from forth + riht right

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1606, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of forthright was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Forthright.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forthright. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

forthright

adjective
forth·​right
ˈfōrth-ˌrīt,
ˈfȯrth-
: going straight to the point clearly and firmly
a forthright answer
forthrightly adverb
forthrightness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on forthright

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