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

The former batting king is Juan Soto, who just turned 26 and could be headed for a record contract – perhaps containing a long-term, up-front salary no player has received before. —Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024

Spotter’s licensing business pays creators cash up-front for rights to their back catalog of videos, which the company then monetizes. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 30 Oct. 2024

Adverb

Denver’s success up front is even more impressive when accounting for the time McGlinchey, center Luke Wattenberg and backup offensive tackle Alex Palczewski have missed due to injuries. —Ryan McFadden, The Denver Post, 19 Nov. 2024

Selecting a Personal Access plan doesn't require choosing a data cap up front. —PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1945, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1937, in the meaning defined at sense 1