These words refer to things that are made amply evident by direct expression. Overt indicates attitudes, feelings and behaviour that are put into words or acted upon, rather than intimated or suppressed: an overt declaration of his desire to marry her; an overt philanderer; rebellious feelings that had passed the talking stage and were about to become overt . Patent stresses that something is unmistakably obvious and clear: a grasp and discrimination that is patent on every page of the book. The word frequently carries a pejorative tone: a patent lie; a patent irresponsibility.

Open refers to things done in an honest or unashamed manner, indifferent to criticism or reproof: easy to be open if you have nothing to hid; arguing that the liquor laws were open invitations to drunkenness; an open declaration of their stand on the controversial proposal. While a person may be open with his friends about his beliefs, he might still not wish to make public either his affairs or his attitudes. Public , thus, is an extreme case among these words, suggesting a deliberate revealing of oneself to the populace at large: a public announcement that he would no longer be responsible for debts incurred by his wife; a public address on foreign policy; voracious audiences who turn the private lives of film stars into public scandals.