up-front

1 of 2

adjective

ˌəp-ˈfrənt 

ˈəp-ˌfrənt

: being or coming in or at the front: such as

a(1)

: frank, forthright

(2)

: being in a conspicuous or leading position

b

: paid or payable in advance

c

: playing in a front line (as in football)

up front

2 of 2

adverb

1

: in or at the front

2

: in advance

3

: in an up-front manner : frankly, forthrightly

Synonyms

Adjective

• candid
• direct
• forthcoming
• forthright
• foursquare
• frank
• free-spoken
• freehearted
• honest
• open
• openhearted
• out-front
• outspoken
• plain
• plainspoken
• straight
• straightforward
• unguarded
• unreserved

Examples of up-front in a Sentence

Adjective

some hurt feelings could have been spared if he'd been more up-front about whom he was inviting to the party

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

But while 3-D printing’s up-front preproduction costs can be lower than that of traditional processes, individual parts cost substantially more when made in this way. —Tim Stevens, Robb Report, 24 Nov. 2024

Higher incomes in the area mean more homeowners can afford the steep up-front costs, which can be paid back within nine to 12 years. —Hope Karnopp, Journal Sentinel, 18 Nov. 2024

Adverb

Almost a year after Yoshinobu Yamamoto received a $50-million signing bonus, Snell will be paid $52 million up front, so long as the left-hander completes a physical examination to finalize his contract. —Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024

This was a miss up front as the defensive tackle slipped right between Siereveld and Jackson, but Howard made a nice throw with the pressure coming just a second away. —Cameron Teague Robinson, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1945, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1937, in the meaning defined at sense 1