What is the difference between candidly and honestly?

Question

In almost every dictionary, candidly and honestly are explained as having the same meaning.

Still, I'm pretty sure there must be some difference, whether big or tiny. Any reasonable tip would be much appreciated!

Answer 1

Candid and honest do not mean the same thing--they don't even have similar word roots.

Let's start with "candid." This word means "openness" and "not scripted or rehearsed." During the 70s, there was a popular American TV show called "Candid Camera" hosted by Alan Funt. We did not call it "Honest Camera." The show featured raw film footage of people in candid situations. It was not scripted and showed sincere and genuine reactions of ordinary people.

We use the word "candid" to talk about politicians' answers and interviews with actors. We say "candid interview" not "honest interview." In a candid interview, a person might not have access to the questions beforehand, or have thought out answers, or be as scripted. If a politician or actor were involved in a scandal, you can be sure they will not participate in a candid interview.

The word honest means "not deceptive, fair, or displaying integrity." We want policemen who are honest, judges who display honesty, and politicians that give honest answers. The key word is "not deceptive." Candid has nothing to do with deception, trickery, fraud, or cheating, things which the light of honesty combats.

The words have started to be used interchangeably because people confuse "unscripted" with "honest."

We want honest not candid politicians. Donald Trump is an example of a candid politician. He's being honest about his answers but I prefer he were less candid in his responses. Usually, the more experience a politician has the less candid they are, which can be frustrating for voters who think everything is scripted and designed to manipulate. Candid responses such as Trump's often cause people to grimace or cringe.

Policemen typically do not speak candidly about subjects because the stakes are high. They have practiced responses and ways of dealing with things that protect and serve the greater purpose of justice. In the current situation in America, many people will laugh at what I just said, but ideally we believe this. We do want policemen who are honest and give honest answers.

Candid answers are usually spontaneous and people are called to task for them. "I misspoke" is a response when criticized for a candid answer.

There is some overlap with these words but the overlap is not a majority.

Answer 2

To speak honestly and to speak candidly both mean to speak in an open, fair, just, and sincere manner.

For candid the OED gives as one current sense:

Frank, open, ingenuous, straight-forward, sincere in what one says.

While for honest the OED gives as one current sense:

That deals fairly and uprightly in speech and act; sincere, truthful, candid; that will not lie, cheat, or steal. (The prevailing modern sense, the ‘honest man’ being the ‘good citizen’, the law-abiding man, as opposed to the rogue, thief, or enemy of society.)

As you see, it defines honest in terms of candid, but honest also carries a bit of the law-abiding with it that candid does not.

To me, candidly has a slight nuance of not holding anything back even if it’s something that will be hard to say or hear, but I would not count on that.

Answer 3

Honest means "not lying" (ie, a response given is in fact true).

Candid means "unguarded" - speaking your mind, speaking your actual opinions "off the record" rather than a careful or constructed response.

{Note that indeed "candid" comments could be, indeed, total lies, or quite honest, or a mix, or indeed could be irrelevant to that concept; candid comments may be train-of-thought stuff: "His candid comments caught off camera showed him to be a blithering idiot who mainly talks incoherently about golf" .. for example.}

The words aren't even really close in meaning and are not related. Check in a good dictionary.

Answer 4

American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster 1828 is very good dictionary compare to modern dictionaries. Its definition for candid is:

• 1. [L. candidus, white, from canden, to be white; W. canu, to bleach. See Cant.] White. Dryden [But in this sense rarely used.]
• 2. Fair; open; frank; ingenuous; free from undue bias; disposed to think and judge according to truth and justice, or without partiality or prejudice; applied to persons.
• 3. Fair; just; impartial; applied to things; as a candid view, or construction.