▪ I. candid, a.
(ˈkændɪd)
[ad. L. candid-us white, glistening (also used in many fig. senses as below), f. stem of candēre to be white, to glisten. Perh. immediately from F. candide, 16th c. in Littré. (Not in Shakes., Bible, Cotgrave, or Cockeram 1623.)]
† 1. White. (Usually with reference to other meanings, or in translation from Latin.) Obs. or arch.
| 1630 Jackson Creed viii. xxvi. Wks. VIII. 105 Sending Him back to Pilate in a white or candid robe. a 1700 Dryden Fabl., Pythagor. Philos. 60 The stones came candid forth, the hue of innocence. 1738 Warburton Div. Legat. I. 54 That candid Appearance, which..does result from the Mixture of all Kinds of Colours. 1805 J. M. Good Lucretius i. 298 The candid milk. |
2. fig. † a. Splendid, illustrious; fortunate.
| 1648 Herrick Hesper., To T. Shapcott 179 Brave men..whose candid actions are Writ in the poets endlesse kalendar. 1715 Bentley Serm. x. 371 This candid and joyful Day. |
b. Pure, clear; stainless, innocent. arch.
| 1647 Clarendon Hist. Reb. I. i. 72 Nor cared to make his designs..appear as candid as they were. a 1667 Cowley To Royal Soc. ix, His candid stile like a clean stream does slide. 1868 Browning Ring & Bk. ix. 475 Where does the figment touch her candid fame? |
3. Free from bias; fair, impartial, just.
| 1635 Swan Spec. M. (1643) Pref. 1 Men of candid sinceritie will be readie..to give it a friendly welcome. 1754 Chatham Lett. Nephew vi. 46 Keep your mind in a candid state of suspense. 1828 Arnold Let. in Life & Corr. (1844) I. v. 243, I know that your mind is entirely candid: and that no man will conduct an inquiry with more perfect fairness. 1883 Froude Short Stud. IV. ii. iii. 197 He was too candid to attribute such doubts..to wickedness of heart. |
† 4. ‘Free from malice; not desirous to find faults’ (J.); ‘gentle, courteous’ (Cotgr.); favourably disposed, favourable, kindly. Obs.
| 1633 Marmion Fine Compan. Ded., Candid dispositions who (in spite of malice and ignorance) dare countenance Poetry. 1660 Stanley Hist. Philos. (1701) 79/2 To shun the censorious, and to apply our selves to such as are candid. 1718 Free-thinker No. 61. 37 Your Lectures meet with a very Candid Reception. 1732 Pope Ess. Man i. 15 Laugh where we must, be candid where we can. 1800 Med. Jrnl. IV. 502 The candid manner in which my Communication has been treated, lays me under strong obligations. |
5. a. Frank, open, ingenuous, straight-forward, sincere in what one says.
| 1675 Ogilby Brit. Advt., We shall gratefully accept Candid Informations. 1774 Goldsm. Retal. 113 Let us be candid and speak out our mind. 1856 Froude Hist. Eng. (1838) I. ii. 121 A..very candid account of Henry's feelings is furnished by himself. |
b. ironically, in phrase candid friend: one who claims to be a friend, and, in the name of candour, speaks unpleasant things.
| 1798 Canning New Moral. in Anti-Jacobin 9 July (1852) 208 Save, save, oh! save me from the Candid Friend! 1867 Habits & Cust. Working Classes 26 Troops of friends..candid and sugar-candied. 1884 Daily News 5 Dec. 3/1 Mr. Raikes congratulated [Mr. Goschen] on being able to pose as the candid friend of the Conservative party. |
c. Of a photograph or photography: unposed, informal. So candid camera, a small camera for taking informal photographs of persons, freq. without their knowledge; also attrib. Also as n., an unposed photograph.
| 1929 Graphic 11 May 265 At the foreground table, unaware of the proximity of the candid camera, will be seen Dean Inge enjoying his cigar. 1935 N.Y. Times 8 Dec. Sect. xi. 14/3 Small enough to be manipulated without attracting attention, the miniature camera as used by ‘candid camera’ hobbyists is..becoming a highly revealing adjunct of the contemporary scene. 1937 Miniat. Camera World Dec. 5/2 ‘Candid’ photography was at one time synonymous with ‘miniature’ photography. 1939 A. Huxley After many a Summer i. iii. 31 Candid Camera portrait of the President of Consol Oil. 1946 T. Godsey Free Lance Photogr. iii. 36 He liked these ‘candids’ so well that a contract to do his new publication entirely with the miniature was the result. 1957 P. Mansfield Final Exposure i. 11 Those delightfully candid shots. Ibid. ii. 33 Candid photographs. Ibid. iv. 51 Can't you..take real candids—without people knowing? |
▪ II. candid
obs. form of candied.