Dictionary / candid
candid
- adjective
- noun
- from Latin
Impartial and free from prejudice.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “candid” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
adjective
- Impartial and free from prejudice.
He knew not where to look for faithful advice, efficient aid, or candid judgement.1828, Washington Irving, A History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus. […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: G. & C. Carvill, […], →OCLC, book XII, page 269:
- Straightforward, open and sincere, whether people find either refreshing or distasteful.
a surprisingly candid admission of guilt
- Unposed or rehearsed.
Will the introduction of supplementary flash or flood intrude on a candid picture situation or ruin the mood?2002, Popular Photography:
Older & obsolete senses (1)
- obsoleteBright; white.
noun
- A spontaneous or unposed photograph.
His portraits looked stiff and formal but his candids showed life being lived.
Cross-check: WordNet senses (3)
- adjectivecharacterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion — also: blunt, forthright, frank, free-spoken, outspoken
- adjectiveinformal or natural; especially caught off guard or unprepared
- adjectiveopenly straightforward and direct without reserve or secretiveness — also: open, heart-to-heart
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)candid
- Latincandidus “white”
Borrowed from Latin candidus (“white”).
Derivatives — words built from “candid”
Phrases & compounds
Related terms
Want to go deeper? See also “candid” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “candid” came from before it was English.
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
candid a. [F. candide (cf. It. candido), L. candidus white, fr. cand to be of a glowing white; akin to accend, incend, to set on fire, Skr. chand to shine. Cf. Candle, Incense.]
- White.
- Free from undue bias; disposed to think and judge according to truth and justice, or without partiality or prejudice; fair; just; impartial; as, a candid opinion.
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
adjectiveMeaning: Impartial and free from prejudice.
He knew not where to look for faithful advice, efficient aid, or candid judgement.1828, Washington Irving, A History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus. […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: G. & C. Carvill, […], →OCLC, book XII, page 269:
Asked about the Brexit vote, the candid president told Marr: «I am not the one to judge or comment on the decision of your people.»2018 January 21, Oli Smith, The Sunday Express:
adjectiveMeaning: Straightforward, open and sincere, whether people find either refreshing or distasteful.
a surprisingly candid admission of guilt
My candid opinion was that it was all rubbish!1871, A Journey to the Center of the Earth, translation of original by Jules Verne:
adjectiveMeaning: Unposed or rehearsed.
Will the introduction of supplementary flash or flood intrude on a candid picture situation or ruin the mood?2002, Popular Photography:
nounMeaning: A spontaneous or unposed photograph.
His portraits looked stiff and formal but his candids showed life being lived.
When he held the Guild Chair, the office walls were not, as they are now, festooned with orchestrated candids of Chancre and municipal burghers, Chancre herding his porcine family in their Sunday best.1999, Colson Whitehead, The Intuitionist, Fleet (2017), page 137:
adjectiveMeaning: characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
I gave them my candid opinion
adjectiveMeaning: informal or natural; especially caught off guard or unprepared
a candid photograph
a candid interview
adjectiveMeaning: openly straightforward and direct without reserve or secretiveness
his candid eyes
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
candid
/ˈkæn.dɪd/ · can·did
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
candid
/ˈkæn.dɪd/ · can·did · adjective, noun
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “candid” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — Which meaning is it?
“a surprisingly candid admission of guilt”
Circle the meaning used.
“His portraits looked stiff and formal but his candids showed life being lived.”
Circle the meaning used.
Step 4 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “candid” and what each means:
Step 5 — Original meaning
The earliest traceable form is Latin candidus. What did it mean?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 6 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — candid
Which meaning, sentence 1: C. Straightforward, open and sincere, whether people find either refreshing or distasteful.
Which meaning, sentence 2: A. A spontaneous or unposed photograph.
Origin: D. Latin (Latin candidus)
Journey: English candid ← Latin candidus
Some derivatives: candidity, candidly, candidness, supercandid, uncandid, plandid
Original meaning: Latin candidus — “white”
Etymology: Borrowed from Latin candidus (“white”).
Sources: Wiktionary “candid” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/candid#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/candid