outspoken

adjective

out·​spo·​ken ˌau̇t-ˈspō-kən 

1

: direct and open in speech or expression : frank

… outspoken in his criticism …

—Current Biography

2

: spoken or expressed without reserve

his outspoken advocacy of environmentalism

outspokenly adverb

outspokenness

ˌau̇t-ˈspō-kən-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of outspoken

• honest
• candid
• frank
• vocal
• forthcoming
• forthright

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

Perry is one of the most outspoken and recognizable artists of the past 30 years. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 8 May 2026

An outspoken critic of Bass, Pratt recently used a debate stage to scrutinize her tenure. —Paris Barraza, USA Today, 8 May 2026

Turner, despite his outspoken views on climate issues, approached conservation in a far more grounded and practical way. —Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026

And there are a lot of people that are a lot more vocal about politics on Broadway because the essence of the artist is to be outspoken and to be political. —Marlow Stern, Variety, 6 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1808, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for outspoken

• awoken
• betoken
• heartbroken
• unbroken
• unspoken
• broken
• oaken
• spoken
• token
• woken

Kids Definition

outspoken

adjective

out·​spo·​ken au̇t-ˈspō-kən 

: direct and open in speech or expression : frank

outspokenness

-kən-nəs 

noun