What does aboveboard mean?
Aboveboard is an adjective — and less commonly an adverb — describing conduct that is honest, legitimate, and conducted entirely in the open, without deceit or hidden motives. A deal described as aboveboard is one in which nothing is concealed and no party is being manipulated. The word originated in gambling: card players were expected to keep their hands above the table (the board) so that others could see they were not palming cards or cheating. From this literal image came the figurative sense of transparency and fair dealing, established by the early seventeenth century. Today it appears most often in business, legal, and political discourse, where speakers use it to reassure audiences that an arrangement involves no impropriety. Its natural opposites are underhand, clandestine, and shady. Because it carries a built-in whiff of suspicion — one rarely needs to insist on honesty unless doubt exists — aboveboard often signals reassurance as much as fact.
Honest, legitimate, and open; free from deceit or concealment.
"The audit confirmed that all of the firm's dealings had been aboveboard."
Frequently intensified as "perfectly aboveboard" or "strictly aboveboard."
In an open and honest manner; without trickery or concealment.
"She always plays it aboveboard, even when cutting corners would be easier."
Aboveboard comes straight from the card table: keeping your hands "above the board" proved you weren't cheating.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of aboveboard
Aboveboard derives from the phrase "above board," referring to the table (board) used for card games. A player who kept his hand above the board was visibly not concealing cards, so the expression came to signify honesty and freedom from trickery. It entered English in the early seventeenth century, when gambling metaphors frequently supplied terms for candor and fairness. It shares its root element "board" — from Old English "bord," meaning plank or table — with related compounds such as "aboard" and "overboard."
How aboveboard is actually used
Common in business, legal, and journalistic contexts to vouch for the integrity of a deal or arrangement. Often used emphatically — "perfectly aboveboard," "strictly aboveboard" — precisely because the speaker is preemptively denying suspicion. The spelling is frequently written as two words ("above board"), which is equally acceptable.
Easily confused with aboveboard
"Overboard" means off a ship and into the water (or figuratively, excessive enthusiasm), while "aboveboard" means honest and free from deception.