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

That means that to profit and not cannibalize console and PC sales, publishers need to sell games for much higher up-front costs than mobile players are accustomed to. —Ars Technica, 18 Dec. 2024

With the final rule’s approval, the FTC will have the power to impose financial penalties on short-term rental and live-event ticketing companies that don’t disclose their full price to consumers up-front. —Samantha Delouya, CNN, 17 Dec. 2024

Adverb

Rouleau strongly recommends keeping your receipts for all purchases, even if your plan does not require documentation up front. —Judy Lagrou, CNBC, 26 Dec. 2024

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) is a payment method that lets consumers pay for their purchases or services over time in installments rather than paying the whole amount up front. —Rick Watkin, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1945, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1937, in the meaning defined at sense 1