English Reference
Idiom idiom

Honest Abe

Meaning

A forthright and honest person.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Examples
SIMPLE

“You can trust him because he is a real Honest Abe.”

CONTEXTUAL

“Everyone asks him to handle the money because he is a total Honest Abe.”

COMPLEX

“Even when the truth risked his own reputation, he acted like an Honest Abe and admitted his mistake to the board.”

Origin

Nickname of US President Abraham Lincoln, considered an honest politician.

Anchors to
Related idioms5entries
  1. 01

    God's honest truth

    Unquestionable, absolute truth.

  2. 02

    honest John

    An ordinary, honest, member of the public

  3. 03

    if I'm honest

    to be honest

  4. 04

    make an honest woman

    To marry (a woman), especially if there is an existing sexual relationship.

  5. 05

    to be honest

    Frankly, honestly.

Last updated August 10, 2026