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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 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
-
The organization has guided enough candidates through multiple cycles to approach these situations with both honesty and genuine optimism, identifying specifically what needs to change and executing adjustments with the same rigor applied to initial preparation.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
Thomas Tuchel’s explanation for not taking Cole Palmer to the World Cup was brutal in its honesty.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The piece has to throb and, well, that is not the first verb that comes to mind in director Jonathan Butterell’s production, with all due respect for the sincerity of the effort and the intermittent effectiveness of the storytelling.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
-
But in those cases and others, the defendants took concrete steps that demonstrated their sincerity and conscious awareness of the threatening nature of their speech.—
Wayne Unger,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Seydoux asks me in a moment of frankness.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
18 May 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
-
Your forthrightness will set the tone for future dates.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
-
There’s something both startling and seductive about such forthrightness.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Slot, as head coach, was more of a middle manager; someone who acted with the objectivity of a civil servant and the occasional bluntness of a corrections officer.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
30 May 2026
-
Rise and fall But Healy, with her characteristic bluntness, didn’t sugar-coat what happened to that law.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
In contrast to this ribald directness, Kokopeli’s playsets feature characters who appear detached and disconnected.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
In most workplaces, uncertainty drains more energy than directness.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
On May 29, Behar and her cohosts on The View reflected on recent comments from Rosie O'Donnell's about her facelift, praising her candidness.—
Staff Author,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
-
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
Noun
-
None of his previous attempts at candor have garnered the same public response as the intimacy – and immediacy – of his online posts.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
-
Nessel discussed political realities with a candor rare among public officials.—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outspokenness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outspokenness. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
