ENGLISH
REFERENCE

upfront

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈəpˌfɹənt// UK //ˈʌpfɹʌnt// up·front

adj. honest and open about your intentions or the facts. It can also describe a payment you make at the very start of a deal.

adj. characterised by openness, honesty, and directness; also refers to payments made in advance of receiving goods or services. Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'be' or 'seem'.


SIMPLE

She was very upfront about the costs.

CONTEXTUAL

The agency requires an upfront payment before they begin any creative work on the new campaign.

COMPLEX

While some negotiators prefer to reveal their terms gradually, being upfront about your non-negotiable requirements can often save both parties significant time during the initial discovery phase.

Usage

Can be used attributively before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb.

Pitfall

an up front paymentan upfront paymentWhen used as an adjective before a noun, it should be written as one word or hyphenated, not as two separate words.

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