# frankly

Pronunciation: say "FRANK-lee" /ˈfɹæŋkli/

## Adverb

1. In truth; to tell the truth. Marks what follows as the speaker's honest opinion or assessment.
   - Simple: Used to show that you are saying what you honestly think.
   - _Frankly, the budget proposal needs a complete overhaul before the board will approve it._
   - _We should, frankly, have left for the airport an hour ago._
2. In a candid, open manner, especially with an honesty or directness that may seem excessive or slightly blunt.
   - Simple: In an open and honest way, sometimes more direct than people expect.
   - _The doctor spoke frankly about the risks of the operation._
   - _In her memoir, she writes frankly about her divorce and its aftermath._
3. In medicine and the sciences, to a degree great enough to be plainly evident.
   - Simple: Used by doctors and scientists to mean clearly and fully, so anyone can see it.
   - _The biopsy revealed frankly malignant cells in the tissue sample._
   - _By the third day of the illness, the patient was frankly jaundiced._

## Origin

Formed from "frank" combined with the suffix "-ly".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/frankly (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).