What does "honesty" mean?

1. (truthfulness) the quality of being truthful and not lying, stealing, or cheating. 2. (the plant) a garden plant with purple flowers and flat, round, silver seed pods.

How do you use "honesty"?

Uncountable in this sense. Countable when referring to the individual plant.

honesty

US //ˈɑnəsti// UK //ˈɒnɪsti// hon·esty

1 truthfulness (n.)
B1 Intermediate

the quality of being truthful and not lying, stealing, or cheating.

the quality or condition of being honest, characterized by truthfulness, integrity, and the absence of deceit.

Example

I appreciate your honesty about why you were late for the meeting.

Example

The candidate's brutal honesty regarding his past failures actually earned him more respect from the board than a polished excuse would have.

Usage

Uncountable in this sense.
- truthfulness
- integrity
- sincerity
- dishonesty
- deceit
2 the plant (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical

a garden plant with purple flowers and flat, round, silver seed pods.

any of various plants in the genus Lunaria, especially Lunaria annua, cultivated for its fragrant flowers and translucent, disc-shaped silicles.

Example

We dried some honesty from the garden to use as a winter decoration.

Example

The silver seed pods of the honesty plant remained on their stalks long after the purple petals had fallen, catching the low autumn light.

Usage

Countable when referring to the individual plant.

Teacher's tip

This is a specialized botanical term; most learners will only encounter the abstract noun for truthfulness.
- silver plate
- money plant

Origin

From Middle English honeste (“honour, integrity”), from Old French honesté (compare modern French honnêteté) (honest + -y); the plant, from the visibility of the seeds through the translucent pods. Displaced native Old English sōþfæstnes; and non-native Middle English prodonomee, from Old French prodomie.