Candid

How to spell candid

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce candid

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does candid mean?

1. adjectiveTruthful and straightforward, even when the truth is awkward or unwelcome.
2. adjectiveDescribing a photograph taken informally, without the subject posing.

Candid in a sentence

• Her candid assessment of the budget unsettled the board.

• The wedding album mixed formal portraits with relaxed candid shots.

• He was refreshingly candid about the mistakes in the report.

• She preferred candid photos that captured the guests laughing together.

Where does candid come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin candidus, meaning 'white, bright, or shining', which was built on the verb candere, 'to shine or glow with heat'. In Roman culture the colour white was strongly linked to purity and honesty, so candidus took on the figurative sense of being clear, unblemished, and sincere. English adopted the word in the seventeenth century, at first in the literal sense of 'white' or 'pure', before the modern meaning of 'frank and outspoken' became dominant. The very same root gave us 'candidate', because office-seekers in ancient Rome wore bright white togas while campaigning, and it also lies behind 'candle' and 'incandescent'. Remembering that hidden idea of shining a clear light on the truth helps fix the single 'd' in the middle and the plain '-id' ending.

How the word is built

• cand- (from Latin candere: to shine, to be white)
• -id (adjective-forming suffix)