VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

lack of candor

phrase·Advancedformal

Last updated

UK/ˌlæk əv ˈkændə/
US/ˌlæk əv ˈkændɚ/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phraseformal

    A failure to be open and honest, especially by keeping back information or avoiding a direct answer.

    Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun phrase: 'a lack of candor' or 'his lack of candor'; it does not take a plural.

    Patterns

    • a lack of candor about something
    • show a lack of candor
    • accuse someone of a lack of candor

    The report criticized the manager's lack of candor about the company's losses.

    Voters punished the mayor for what they saw as a lack of candor during the scandal.

    Her lack of candor in the interview made reporters suspicious.

  2. phrasefixed phraseformallegal

    In law and official settings, the act of giving incomplete or misleading information, treated as a serious fault.

    Grammar: Often appears in formal findings: 'a finding of lack of candor'; it is not used with 'the' before 'lack' in this fixed legal wording.

    Patterns

    • a finding of lack of candor
    • be dismissed for lack of candor

    The officer was dismissed for lack of candor during the internal investigation.

    A finding of lack of candor can end a career in law enforcement.

Common combinations

a lack of candor
The board blamed a lack of candor for the breakdown in trust.
show lack of candor
He showed a lack of candor when asked where the money went.
accuse someone of lack of candor
Critics accused the minister of a lack of candor about the delays.
lack of candor about something
There was a clear lack of candor about the safety tests.

Synonyms and how they differ

dishonesty
Stronger and more general; it suggests a clear intent to deceive, while 'lack of candor' can include simply avoiding a topic.
evasiveness
Focuses on dodging questions rather than on the general failure to be open that 'lack of candor' describes.
secrecy
Means keeping things hidden on purpose; 'lack of candor' is about not speaking honestly, which may or may not involve hiding facts.

Opposites

candorhonestyopenness

Word family

candid adjective
Honest and direct, not hiding anything.
candor noun
The quality of being open and honest.
candidly adverb
In an honest and direct way.

Commonly confused: lack of candor or lack of candour?

lack of candor vs lack of candour

This is the British spelling; 'candor' is the American spelling. Both mean the same thing.

Practice

The investigation found that the officer had shown a lack of ______ by leaving out key facts.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “lack of candor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words