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

Despite the up-front costs, the benefits can be significant. —Pawan Vadapalli, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024

Medtronic, a medical tech company with a workforce of around 95,000, rolled out an up-front college tuition assistance benefit for tens of thousands of its employees in the U.S. and Puerto Rico in 2022. —Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 25 Sep. 2024

Adverb

Amid a season of tumult up front, Monheim became a steadying force. —Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2024

Gareth Taylor can also count on Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly on the wings, Aoba Fujino and Mary Fowler up front, Jill Roord and Jess Park in midfield, and Alexi Greenwood and Naomi Layzell in defense. —Assile Toufaily, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1945, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1937, in the meaning defined at sense 1