English Reference
noun

openness

n.
US /ˈoʊpənəs/ UK /ˈəʊpənnəs/ open·ness UK spelling opennesses

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    the quality of being honest and not hiding information or feelings.

    the quality of being characterized by a lack of secrecy; transparency and candour in communication.

    Simple

    The manager encouraged openness in the office so that everyone felt safe sharing their mistakes.

    In context

    The government's new policy was designed to foster greater openness regarding how public funds were allocated to local infrastructure projects.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    the willingness to listen to or accept different ideas, cultures, or ways of doing things.

    a receptive attitude toward new ideas, experiences, or diverse cultural perspectives.

    Simple

    Her openness to different cultures made her a great choice for the international project.

    In context

    Psychologists often measure openness as a core personality trait that determines how likely an individual is to seek out novel experiences.

    receptivenesstoleranceflexibility
    narrow mindednessrigidity
  3. 03 C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    the degree to which information or software can be used and shared by everyone.

    the degree of accessibility to view, use, and modify resources in a shared environment without proprietary restrictions.

    Simple

    The openness of the software allowed developers from all over the world to improve it.

    In context

    The movement for data openness argues that scientific research funded by the public should be freely accessible to all citizens.

Recent studies examining personality and AI generally measure extraversion as one of the Big Five personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism.

Phys.org· 2 Sept 2026

Bonta has repeatedly indicated an openness to settling cases generally.

BreakingNews.ie· 24 Aug 2026

From Middle English *opennesse, from Old English openness (“openness, publicity”), equivalent to open + -ness. Cognate with Old High German offannussi (“disclosure, revelation, openness”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Old English openness
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated