OPENNESS Synonyms: 62 Similar and Opposite Words

openness

noun

Definition of openness

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of openness That openness is extending to more autonomous uses of AI, with 75% of users willing to let AI agents find the best prices and complete purchases on their behalf. — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026 The dawn of the internet taught us that openness without responsibility can become extraction, connection can deepen division, and freedom without care can concentrate power in the hands of a few. — Amelia Rose Barlow, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026 But as more Tunisians might be learning, the right ideas and the best people to run an economy can be elevated only when all citizens are civic equals, working together under political openness and accountable government. — The Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Oct. 2026 At Telluride, Fielder, who had initially planned to stay behind the scenes, admitted he was still perplexed by the couple’s openness. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Memoirs proceeds from there with that simultaneous posture of high-minded openness and a childish giggle. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026 That openness is the best thing about Cooked, a record that summons electric Miles and Popol Vuh and the Necks but mostly explores endless emotional ambiguity, offering a reminder that very few sensations are ever pure. — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026 Over the years, my spatial disorientation, my openness, has come at this cost too. — Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026 But even some Republicans have expressed openness to tax hikes to keep Social Security’s trust fund solvent. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for openness

Noun

Listen to their thoughts, then speak with hope, honesty and kindness.

— Letters to the Editor, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026
The genre will continue to preserve the emotional honesty of its lyrics, which have traditionally focused on love.

— Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of honesty

Noun

The charges come with additional special allegations, around the victim’s vulnerability and that Tapia abused a trustworthy position.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
The Dodgers’ bullpen and vaunted starters also showed vulnerabilities throughout the summer.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of vulnerability

Noun

The show sought to expand norms of representation—a project whose sincerity all but courts the cringeworthy—with artists hell-bent on deconstructing the drive for beauty, including Orlan, Sara Cwynar, Juno Calypso, and Haley Morris-Cafiero.

— Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Still, the sincerity matters, and so does the achievement of realizing something this strange with such conviction.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of sincerity

Noun

As financial markets have become more accessible, consumers have begun trading sophisticated financial instruments, purchasing fractional shares and gaining exposure to alternative assets in minutes.

— Aneri Jambusaria, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
This is the experience of some students in the state and it is being further complicated by the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, rising college costs and limited exposure to jobs before graduation.

— P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of exposure

Noun

Lin is known in town to be incredibly fair, but at times obtuse in his frankness.

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026
The novel, published in 1988, foreshadowed the career to come by taking on, with disarming frankness, everything from child abuse to transracial adoption.

— Casey Cep, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of frankness

Noun

Savio The Brazilian is still finding his feet but already feels like an important player, offering pace, directness and a willingness to take on his man — qualities lacking in many of his team-mates.

— Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Paul, meanwhile, was in a period of uncharacteristic autobiographical directness in his lyric-writing, documenting his grievances with his actor girlfriend Jane Asher while residing in her family’s London home.

— Darryn King, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of directness

Browse Nearby Words

open-mouthed

openness

opens

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“Openness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/openness. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of openness

noun

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