outspokennessn.
/aʊtˈspəʊk(ə)nnəs/, U.S. /ˌaʊtˈspoʊkə(n)nəs/ The quality of being outspoken; frankness or boldness of speech.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > plainness > [noun]
outspeakingc1450
plainness1465
simplicity?a1475
homeliness1576
parrhesia1577
planiloquy1658
plain speaking?c1663
nakedness1711
incomplexity1778
outspokennessa1786
plain-spokenness1840
gracility1900
a1786 B. La Trobe With Harmony to Labrador (1888) 11 None can be offended at his faithful outspokenness.
1852 S. G. Rowe Recoll. R. R. Wormeley (1879) 113 The main feature of his character was openness, or, to coin a word, outspokenness. Whatever he thought he spoke right out.
1855 E. C. Gaskell North & South I. viii. 107 But the very out-spokenness marked their innocence of any intention to hurt her delicacy.
1893 A. V. Dicey Leap in Dark 194 You cannot from the nature of things combine the advantages of reticence and of outspokenness.
1920 D. H. Lawrence Lost Girl iv. 54 She began to hate outspokenness and direct speaking-forth of the whole mind.
1963 Times 30 May 8/7 The frankness and outspokenness of their character.
1991 Classical Q. New Ser. 41 293 What remains striking..is the degree of outspokenness, coarseness and vilification.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.a1786