candid English · revision 2477

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈkæn.dɪd/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|candidus|t=shining white, pure, sincere]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) [[der|la|candeō|t=to shine, glow]],^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Barnhart 1995) possibly through [[fr|candide]].^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ White (1630).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The Latin word had already moved from “white” to “pure” and “sincere”.^(Etymonline) In English “free from bias, impartial” is recorded in 1635 and “free from malice, kindly” in 1633;^(OED 1989) the sense “frank, open, sincere” appears in 1675.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) In 1929 the word was applied to unposed photographs, as in ''candid camera''.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) The literal sense “white” is now archaic.^(RHWU)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1606 – first date given by Merriam-Webster.^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1630 – white (archaic).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1633 – kindly disposed, not fault-finding (obsolete).^(OED 1989)

+ * 1635 – impartial, fair.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1675 – frank, open, sincere.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1929 – of photographs, unposed and informal.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Frank and open in what one says; sincere.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Free from bias; impartial.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Unposed or unrehearsed, as a photograph.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(archaic)'' White; pure.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # An unposed photograph.^(AHD)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[candidly]]

+ * [[candidness]]

+ * [[uncandid]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[candelabrum]]

+ * [[candela]]

+ * [[candidate]]

+ * [[candle]]

+ * [[candlepower]]

+ * [[candlestick]]

+ * [[candor]]

+ * [[chandler]]

+ * [[chandlery]]

+ * [[candour]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Random House lists ''ingenuous'', ''naive'' and ''plain'' as synonyms of the first sense and discusses the group at ''frank''.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}