open house

noun

1

: ready and usually informal hospitality or entertainment for all comers

2

: a house or apartment open for inspection especially by prospective buyers or tenants

Examples of open house in a Sentence

Westside High School will host an open house from 3 to 7 p.m. today, and all parents are invited to attend.

colleges holding open houses for prospective students

We held an open house last week in the hopes that someone would offer to buy our house.

They kept open house, and in the evenings neighbors would stop by to talk or play music.

They always kept an open house for visitors.

Recent Examples on the Web

On Sunday afternoon, the Davis family, Chris, Brittany, and their three sons Bryan, Brett and Christopher, held an open house at Mawman Manor. —Gina Grillo, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025

Connell, who hosted an open house at 2955 Coconut Ave. —Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2025

Additionally, mosques often host open houses, inviting friends and neighbors from all faiths to join in the fast-breaking meal, or iftar. —Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025

This open house celebration features seasonal biodynamic wines, olive oils, vinegars and jams, along with delicious food and the chance to explore DaVero’s gardens in full bloom. —Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for open house

• boardinghouse
• charterhouse
• clearinghouse
• coffeehouse
• customhouse
• firehouse
• meetinghouse
• motherhouse
• packinghouse
• pilothouse
• powerhouse
• slaughterhouse

Kids Definition

open house

noun

: usually informal hospitality or entertainment for all comers