as in honesty
the free expression of one's true feelings and opinions
some people find the celebrated outspokenness of that talk show host to be rather offensive
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Recent Examples of outspokenness
His outspokenness has spurred discourse among country music's Republican-leaning audience.
—
Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 2 Apr. 2026
The actor recently reflected on his political outspokenness in an interview with Vanity Fair.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
The outspokenness of the Winter Olympic athletes echoes a dramatic protest by Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos which electrified the 1968 Summer Games in Mexico City.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Their outspokenness has drawn some criticism.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 19 Nov. 2025
Kirk's outspokenness helped dissuade those fears.
—Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
While the rise of GLP-1s brings a myriad of valid concerns − such as its contribution to disordered eating and promotion of thinness as the ideal body type − Williams' outspokenness is a crucial, balanced example of healthy and transparent GLP-1 usage.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 2 Apr. 2026
The actor recently reflected on his political outspokenness in an interview with Vanity Fair.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
The outspokenness of the Winter Olympic athletes echoes a dramatic protest by Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos which electrified the 1968 Summer Games in Mexico City.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Their outspokenness has drawn some criticism.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 19 Nov. 2025
Kirk's outspokenness helped dissuade those fears.
—Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
While the rise of GLP-1s brings a myriad of valid concerns − such as its contribution to disordered eating and promotion of thinness as the ideal body type − Williams' outspokenness is a crucial, balanced example of healthy and transparent GLP-1 usage.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outspokenness
Noun
-
That naturally raised questions, not about whether the laws of time and space had been upended but about the efficacy, and honesty, of the billing systems being used by the firms, the city or both.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
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But even though abusive relationships tend to form tragic patterns, honesty isn’t all that’s necessary for a good narrative, and this one proves repetitive.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Each year brings a new theme, embraced with staggering sincerity—and just a hint of competition.—
Cameron Sperance,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Apr. 2026
-
People have a sense that there is a sincerity and authenticity and genuine concern for the environment that isn't just a marketing gimmick or a brand.—
Tony Biasotti,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Just as the story mines humor from the collision of old-fashioned ways with a modern frankness, Paul’s score combines the appeal of jaunty golden-age sounds with a freshness that feels present day.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Her love for the city is palpable, imbued with her frankness, her fun, her queerness, and her history.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
To say we are disappointed by the lack of urgency and forthrightness from the city attorney’s office is an understatement.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Fortune spoke with six people who have invested in Anthropic to get a sense of how this key constituency is feeling about the situation, and found that opinions were not unified despite the company’s longstanding forthrightness about its values.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Queen Elizabeth loved Kelly’s pragmatic bluntness and viewed her as an incredibly loyal friend.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Inspired by the super cropped bobs of the roaring 1920s, the French bob is similar to a one-length short bob, but sans any harsh bluntness.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The line is more powerful for its sober, clear-eyed directness.—
Aimee Cliff,
Pitchfork,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The directness with which the camera meets the eyes of the film’s subjects suggests compassion for their disfigurement and isolation (indeed, Farrokhzad adopted a boy from the colony), but there are no interviews.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Some athletes early in this era proved that charisma and candidness coupled with their athletic skills could be highly lucrative.—
Chantel Jennings,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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The duo have become known for their candidness and light-hearted humor, frequently letting viewers in on the chaos of their real lives.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The memoirs are valued above all for their candor, though Jahangir chose to avoid writing about his earlier rebellion against his father, Akbar.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
-
That candor tracks with the self-aware persona that built her YouTube audience in the first place.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outspokenness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outspokenness. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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