onverborgen

Onverborgen is a Dutch adjective that designates something that is not hidden; it is visible, overt, or openly disclosed. The form is built from the negation prefix on- added to the verb verbogen (to hide), resulting in a term that expresses the absence of concealment. In practice, onverborgen can refer to information, motives, plans, or situations that are not kept secret and that can be easily observed or understood. The nuance ranges from simple transparency to candor, depending on context.

Etymology and formation: The on- prefix is a productive negation in Dutch, and the compound with verborgen mirrors a contrast with hidden or secretive states. The word is commonly used in formal and literary Dutch to emphasize overtness, openness, or lack of disguise. It is not a separate semantic field from similar terms, but it often carries a stronger connotation of openness than more neutral alternatives.

Usage: Onverborgen is typically used with nouns in attributive position, as in onverborgen motieven or onverborgen informatie, and can also function predicatively: De intenties zijn onverborgen. It is closely related to but distinct from synonyms like openbaar (public) or transparant (transparent), which may carry different stylistic or evaluative tones.

See also: Verborgen, Openbaar, Transparant, Duidelijk.