[f. CANDID + -NESS.] State or quality of being candid.
† 1. Purity, innocence. Obs.
1654. Cokaine, Dianea, I. 67. The candidness of my thoughts.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., X. 69. Whose plain Tombs, made of white Marble, shew … candidnesse of their natures.
1692. South, in 12 Serm. (1694), 623 (R.). The Candidness of a Man’s very Principles, the sincerity of his Intentions, [etc.].
2. Fairness, impartiality.
1628. Feltham, Resolves, II. lxii. (1677), 289 (L.). No man drench’t in Hate, can promise to himself the candidness of an upright Judg.
† 3. Favorable disposition, favor, courtesy.
1643. Prynne, Power Parl., I. Pref. A ij b. Entertaine it therefore, with that candidnesse.
1688. I. Clayton, in Phil. Trans., XVII. 790. I … have no reason to suspect their Favour, whose Candidness I so signally proved.
4. Frankness, straightforwardness, sincerity in speech.
