What does "upfront" mean?
A meeting of network executives with the press and major advertisers, signaling the start of advertising sales for a new season
Upfront
/ʌpˈfɹʌnt/ adj, adv, noun, verb
adj, adv, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A meeting of network executives with the press and major advertisers, signaling the start of advertising sales for a new season
- Grammar: upfront is listed as adj, adv, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: ahead of time, at the front, beforehand, candid.
- Useful contrasts: afterwards, behind, deceptive.
- Usage evidence: I struggled to be upfront about where I had been.
How to use "upfront"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "upfront" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "upfront" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "upfront" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "upfront" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "upfront" is acting as adj, adv, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ahead of time" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "upfront", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A meeting of network executives with the press and major advertisers, signaling the start of advertising sales for a new season
"Virginia Heffernan, Times TV critic, reports from this week's TV upfronts, where the networks debut their new schedules."
Verb
- 1 To bring to the fore; to place up front for consideration
"What our analysis has, hopefully, upfronted is the importance to resuscitate the suppressed and silenced voices so as to show the powerful mechanisms of institutional "cases"."
Adjective
- 1 Honest, frank and straightforward.
- 2 open, admitted, out
"Appleby is an upfront homosexual, a devout Roman Catholic and a practitioner of the Black Arts."
- 3 In a forward, leading or frontward position.
"Warning online ticket retailers to be "up front" about fees, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has written to seven of the 19 third-party ticket retailers (TPRs) which did not include their fees in the upfront price. Threatening to take action about hidden charges (known as 'drip pricing'), where an initial price is shown but additional elements are revealed later in the sales process, the ORR reviewed the prices of 19 TPRs."
- 4 Paid in advance.
Adjective
- 1 frank and honest wordnet
Adverb
- 1 beforehand not-comparable
"My commissioners pay half of the price upfront and the other half after they receive the finished product."
- 2 As an attacker. not-comparable
"He's a poor defender, so we always play him upfront."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"I struggled to be upfront about where I had been."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "upfront"?
Common synonyms include: ahead of time, at the front, beforehand, candid, cash, direct.
How do you use "upfront" in a sentence?
I struggled to be upfront about where I had been.
How do you pronounce "upfront"?
Pronounced /ʌpˈfɹʌnt/.