overtly

adverb

overt·​ly ō-ˈvərt-lē 

ˈō-(ˌ)vərt-

: in an overt manner : in a way that is open, straightforward, or obvious

an overtly racist remark

an overtly political message

… the fashion of dumbing down the public discourse was over. Being overtly brainy, simply being oneself, was back in style.

—Elizabeth Drew

In the late 1860's interest gradually waned in landscape paintings that overtly conveyed nationalistic, philosophical, and religious meanings.

—Franklin Kelly

It is now easier for French writers to write more overtly about the occupation because their country is now stressing reconciliation, forgiveness for whatever wrongs were done then …

—Barbara Probst Solomon

Examples of overtly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The country is one of thirty African nations that have laws overtly penalizing this community. —Jennifer Lotito, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025

Moreover, although the 1921 report asserts that the massacre (then called a riot) was not the result of 'racial feeling,' perpetrators of the massacre overtly expressed and acted upon racial bias. —Sabina Ghebremedhin, ABC News, 11 Jan. 2025

Part of the reason for this is the nature Steina’s art of the ’70s, which is neither overtly political nor particularly concerned with the aesthetics of television, against which many early video artists defined themselves. —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 6 Jan. 2025

Today, economic anxieties are again fuelling overtly racist, populist appeals from politicians. —Michael Luo, The New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above