# honesty

/ˈɑnəsti/ (US) · /ˈɒnɪsti/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/honesty
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. truthfulness

noun · CEFR B1

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

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

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

### 2. the plant

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

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

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

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

Teaching tip: This is a specialized botanical term; most learners will only encounter the abstract noun for truthfulness.

## Examples

- I appreciate your honesty about the mistake.
- The manager valued honesty above all else, encouraging employees to speak up when they encountered problems.
- While radical honesty can sometimes be perceived as bluntness, it remains a foundational pillar of healthy interpersonal relationships and professional integrity.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.