Straightforward

How to spell straightforward

15 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce straightforward

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does straightforward mean?

1. adjectiveEasy to do or understand, without complications.
2. adjectiveHonest, open, and direct in manner.

Straightforward in a sentence

• The installation was straightforward and took only ten minutes.

• She gave a straightforward answer instead of dodging the question.

• The recipe looked complicated but turned out to be quite straightforward.

• Customers appreciate his straightforward approach to pricing.

Where does straightforward come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a transparent compound of two old native English words, 'straight' and 'forward'. 'Straight' began as the past participle of the Old English verb 'streccan', meaning 'to stretch', so something straight was literally something stretched out without a bend; the silent 'gh' is a leftover from a Middle English consonant that was once pronounced. 'Forward' comes from Old English 'foreweard', built from 'fore' (in front) and the directional suffix '-weard' (turned toward), and it described facing or moving to the front. Welded together by the 1500s, 'straightforward' first meant moving directly ahead without deviation, and from that physical sense it soon broadened to its modern figurative meanings of being simple, clear, and honest. The spelling trap lies entirely in the first half: the silent 'gh' in 'straight' and the easily dropped 'r' in 'forward'.

How the word is built

• straight (direct, not curved)
• forward (toward the front)