Free of deceit; truthful and sincere in character and behavior.
From Old French oneste, from Latin honestus meaning 'honorable' or 'respected', from honor meaning 'honor'. The word evolved from describing social respectability to moral truthfulness.
The evolution from 'honorable' to 'truthful' reflects a fascinating shift in values - what once meant having social status came to mean having moral integrity. It's one of the few words where the meaning became more demanding over time, not less.
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