Synonyms of openness

openness

noun

1

as in honesty

the free expression of one's true feelings and opinions

her openness was refreshing after the tiresome coyness of her friends

Synonyms & Similar Words

• honesty
• sincerity
• frankness
• directness
• forthrightness
• straightforwardness
• candor
• candidness
• bluntness
• outspokenness
• plainness
• simplicity
• openheartedness
• unreserve
• earnestness
• plumpness
• unreservedness
• naïveté
• unguardedness
• plainspokenness
• freedom
• sobriety
• communicativeness
• artlessness
• genuineness
• unrestraint
• unsophistication
• license
• uninhibitedness
• unrestrainedness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• indirection
• dissimulation
• dissembling
• secretiveness
• evasiveness
• restraint
• inhibition
• reticence
• shyness
• reserve
• diplomacy
• tact
• circuitousness

2

as in vulnerability

the state of being left without shelter or protection against something harmful

doctors are concerned about the population's openness to the new strain of the flu virus

Synonyms & Similar Words

• vulnerability
• exposure
• risk
• susceptibility
• liability
• predisposition
• helplessness
• danger
• weakness
• defenselessness
• jeopardy
• peril

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• protection
• safeguarding
• shielding
• sheltering

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of openness

Harald said in an interview at the time that Europe's royal families should not be ‌tempted to reverse ⁠moves towards openness and retreat to their palace towers. — Terje Solsvik, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Wolff extended his contract with Austin this winter but expressed an openness to a new challenge, sources said. — Tom Bogert, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

One of the most impressive things about Incogni is its openness, undergoing a third-party audit from Deloitte to verify its numbers. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026

The openness of the set is designed to feel like a real emergency room while granting cameras the freedom to move without restriction. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026

The Gao Brothers, whose works addressed themes of authoritarianism and censorship, became famous in a time of relative openness in China and were exhibited both inside the country and abroad. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026

Kansas City has come under scrutiny in recent years over its level of public openness and local news organizations in 2025 called on the city to provide better access to transparent information. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 24 Aug. 2026

For Gold, one of the biggest red flags when bringing someone new into the group is a lack of openness. — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026

As Mikhail Gorbachev became Soviet premier and promised new openness with a policy of glasnost, a slow thaw would begin toward free speech, human rights, the release of political dissidents and relaxed restrictions on emigration. — Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026