Openness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A quality of being receptive to new ideas, experiences, or information without prejudice or resistance
2. A state of being willing to explore diverse ideas, accept various experiences, and embrace differing opinions without bias or defensiveness
3. A characteristic of being transparent and accepting of a range of perspectives, fostering an environment for ideas and experiences to be shared freely

Etymology: Old English "openness" meant something quite literal: a state of being unconcealed or publicly known. Its earliest sense was closer to "publicity" than to temperament, so the modern idea of an open mind is a later extension of a word about things lying in plain view. The word is built from "open" plus the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun for a quality, so "openness" is literally the condition of being open. The same pattern shows up in the Old High German cognate "offannussi," which meant "disclosure" or "revelation." Both forms point back to a shared idea of something being uncovered or laid bare, and the word's path from exposing facts to exposing one's mind is the key to its meaning today.

Synonyms: transparency, candor

Antonyms: secrecy, closure