as in freely
in a direct and honest way; without hiding feelings or opinions
Please feel free to express your opinions openly. The governor has been openly critical of the President.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for openly
Adverb
-
Any information supporting the claim, its scope, and, if applicable, verification, should be easily, freely and publicly available.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
2 July 2025 -
Students will not be allowed to freely use their cellphones within Jefferson County Public Schools next year after Kentucky legislators successfully passed a bill requiring districts statewide to implement bans.—
Krista Johnson,
The Courier-Journal,
2 July 2025
Adverb
-
At sentencing, Woods’ attorney reiterated that Woods sincerely believed the block was about to erupt in gunfire and said his client has almost no criminal history, save for a years-old misdemeanor conviction.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
9 June 2025
-
Al is sincerely devoted to her profession, and sees the act of putting smiles on the faces of sick children as a vocation.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
13 June 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Openly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/openly. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share