outspoken

adjective

out·​spo·​ken ˌau̇t-ˈspō-kən How to pronounce outspoken (audio)
1
: direct and open in speech or expression : frank
outspoken in his criticismCurrent Biography
2
: spoken or expressed without reserve
his outspoken advocacy of gun control
outspokenly adverb
outspokenness noun

Examples of outspoken in a Sentence

She has been an outspoken advocate of women's rights throughout her life. an outspoken and controversial radio host She's very outspoken about political issues.
Recent Examples on the Web Many young men online are finding a world of ultra-popular right-wing influencers who rose to internet fame by posting misogynistic tirades—part of the backlash to women becoming more outspoken about their discontent. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 Prior to his death, Perry was outspoken about his struggle with addiction. Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Among the most outspoken is Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, who has pointed to the confluence of lax gun laws and expanded self-defense as contributing to Kansas City’s high homicide rate, which reached a new record in 2023. Bill Lukitsch, Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2024 Porter is livid Porter, a third-term member of Congress who built a strong reputation as an outspoken consumer advocate, fired back Wednesday and again Thursday. David Lightman, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 Ortega, on the other hand, was the city's most outspoken opponent of such an agreement, citing concerns about conservation and the numerous warnings Scottsdale gave Rio Verde Foothills before the city stopped sharing its water. Sam Kmack, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 Musk, who is also CEO of Tesla Inc., has been among the most outspoken about the dangers of AI and artificial general intelligence, or AGI. Saritha Rai, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024 Navalny rose to prominence as Russia’s most outspoken Kremlin critic after leading a series of anti-corruption investigations into members of the Russian elite. Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 16 Feb. 2024 Mayor Eric Adams, an outspoken Democratic critic of Biden's handling of the border crisis, said his administration has worked to find safe shelter for the migrants and prevent tent cities from being erected like elsewhere in the country. Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'outspoken.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1808, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of outspoken was circa 1808

Dictionary Entries Near outspoken

Cite this Entry

“Outspoken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outspoken. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

outspoken

adjective
out·​spo·​ken au̇t-ˈspō-kən How to pronounce outspoken (audio)
: direct and open in speech or expression : frank
outspokenness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on outspoken

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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