Meaning & use
lacking candor
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Meaning
phrasefixed phraseformal
not showing honest, direct, and open speech; not frank
Grammar: Used after a linking verb or as a description: 'The statement was lacking candor.' It can also follow a noun: 'a reply lacking candor'.
Patterns
- be lacking candor
- something is lacking candor
- a statement lacking candor
The manager's explanation was lacking candor; he avoided the real reason for the delay.
Her memoir is beautifully written but sometimes lacking candor about her own mistakes.
Voters want leaders who speak plainly, not answers that are lacking candor.
Common combinations
- be lacking candor
- The official's account was lacking candor from start to finish.
- seem lacking candor
- The apology seemed lacking candor because it blamed everyone else.
- a response lacking candor
- They issued a response lacking candor and full of vague promises.
Synonyms and how they differ
- not candid
- This is the direct negative form and is slightly less formal than 'lacking candor'.
- evasive
- This means avoiding a direct answer, which may be for many reasons, while 'lacking candor' suggests a failure to be honest and open.
- disingenuous
- This is a stronger, more disapproving word meaning not sincere, often suggesting a deliberate attempt to mislead.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: lacking candor or candour?
lacking candor vs candour
'Candour' is the British spelling; 'candor' is American. They mean the same thing.
Practice
The witness's testimony was _______ candor; she kept changing her story.
Choose one answer.
The phrase is 'lacking candor' without a preposition. 'Lacking in' would need a different noun, e.g. 'lacking in confidence'. 'Lack' and 'lacked' are verb forms and would not fit after 'was' here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lacking candor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.