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

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

Yet this escalating rivalry spells trouble for Southeast Asia, whose economic model has long been built on openness, cross-border networks and investments from multiple sources. — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

The king’s openness in talking about his diagnosis has been credited with persuading more men to be tested for prostate cancer and other forms of the disease. — Danica Kirka, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026

Despite her openness about those trials, many still wonder, in the aftermath of her death, how yet another gifted actor who grew up in the limelight could have their story cut so short. — Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026

Many of the visions emerging out of Silicon Valley have been lifted wholesale from science fiction, but without the critical awareness that characterizes the genre — and without genuine openness to the unfamiliar. — Carline Tromp, The Dial, 18 Aug. 2026

Instead, openness has built trust, preserving and bolstering DIU’s freedom of action in support of the military’s most pressing needs. — Doug Beck, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

The current boom is driven by Gen Z’s openness about mental health, social-commerce virality on TikTok and Etsy, and a broader nervous-system regulation movement that treats fidgeting as a legitimate coping tool rather than a bad habit. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 17 Aug. 2026

Michigan has shown openness this cycle to progressives, with the primary victory of Abdul El-Sayed in the Senate race, but historically has elected more moderate candidates. — Zak Hudak, CBS News, 15 Aug. 2026