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

Every cubic inch has been capitalized on, giving the yacht a sense of openness and grandeur that belies its overall length. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2026

With its brutal openness, her book reminded me of perhaps the very first memoir in the modern sense, Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Confessions. — Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026

Healthy governance creates a balance between openness and effectiveness. — Bythad L. Bench, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

America’s relative openness to immigrants looked like decadence; cosmopolitanism and internationalism were objects of contempt. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

China can link humanitarian assistance, openness to border trade, energy supplies, and the provision of infrastructure to North Korea’s willingness to restrain its military threats. — Zheng Jiyong, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2026

One's background is therefore merely a starting point for a broader openness to the world. — Robbie Griffiths, NPR, 9 Aug. 2026

Editor Chris McCaleb said that openness shaped how the entire series was built in post. — Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026

After this experience, China strengthened its public health capacity and professed a new openness to reporting of potential epidemics. — David J. Hunter, STAT, 7 Aug. 2026