open book

American  

noun

1. someone or something easily understood or interpreted; something very clear.

   The child's face is an open book.

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open book British  

noun

1. a person or thing without secrecy or concealment that can be easily known or interpreted

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open book Idioms  

1. Something or someone that can be readily examined or understood, as in His entire life is an open book. This metaphoric expression is often expanded to read someone like an open book, meaning “to discern someone's thoughts or feelings”; variations of this metaphor were used by Shakespeare: “Read o'er the volume of young Paris' face,” (Romeo and Juliet, 1:3) and “O, like a book of sport thou'lt read me o'er” (Troilus and Cressida, 4:5). [Mid-1800s] For an antonym, see closed book.

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Etymology

Origin of open book

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

open book

"He is an open book and gives long answers at media conferences - what you see is what you get."

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

The open book review of Stormont's finances was conducted after the Executive overspent by £400m last year.

From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026

The back features a genie’s lamp resting on an open book and a feathered quill with an olive branch in the background—symbols of peace, knowledge and learning.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026

The Marines went to extreme lengths to shield Sasaki from the media in his five years with them, so much so that the intensely private Ohtani seems like an open book by comparison.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2024

An older boy—judging by his height and the little bit of scruff on his chin —was in the living room draped over a flowered couch with an open book covering his face.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste