'honestly-expressed' originates from English, combining the adverb 'honestly' (from Latin 'honestus') and the past participle 'expressed' of the verb 'express' (from Latin 'exprimere,' with 'ex-' meaning 'out' and 'primere' meaning 'press').

'honestly-expressed' formed in Modern English as a hyphenated compound. 'Honestus' passed into Old French 'honeste,' then Middle English 'honeste/honest,' yielding 'honestly.' Latin 'exprimere' gave Old/Middle French 'exprimer' and Middle English 'express(en),' leading to Modern English 'express' and its participle 'expressed'; these elements later combined as the compound adjective 'honestly-expressed.'

Initially, 'honestly' meant 'in an honorable manner,' while 'express' meant 'to press out' and then 'to state or convey.' Together they came to mean 'stated frankly and sincerely' in contemporary usage.