open

1 of 3

adjective

ˈō-pən

-pᵊm

opener

ˈōp-nər,

ˈō-pə-

; openest

ˈōp-nəst,

ˈō-pə-

Synonyms of open next

: having no enclosing or confining barrier : accessible on all or nearly all sides

cattle grazing on an open range

a(1)

: being in a position or adjustment to permit passage : not shut or locked

an open door

(2)

: having a barrier (such as a door) so adjusted as to allow passage

the house was open

: having the lips parted

stood there with his mouth wide open

: not buttoned or zipped

an open shirt

: completely free from concealment : exposed to general view or knowledge

their hostilities eventually erupted with open war

: exposed or vulnerable to attack or question : subject

open to doubt

: being an operation or surgical procedure in which an incision is made such that the tissues are fully exposed

: not covered with a top, roof, or lid

an open car

her eyes were open

: having no protective covering

open wiring

: having the skin cracked, cut, or broken so that underlying tissue is exposed

abrasions, lacerations, and other open wounds

see also open water

of large bodies of water : away from the coastal regions : pelagic

fish of the open ocean

In open seas, the smaller the ship, the more motion you can expect.—

Matt Hannafin et al.

: having the parts or surfaces laid out in an expanded position : spread out : unfolded

an open book

a(1)

: low sense 15

an open vowel

(2)

: formed with the tongue in a lower position

Italian has an open and a close e

b(1)

: having clarity and resonance unimpaired by undue tension or constriction of the throat

an open vocal tone

(2)

of a tone : produced by an open string or on a wind instrument by the lip without the use of slides, valves, or keys

: available to follow or make use of

the only course open to us

: not taken up with duties or engagements

keep an hour open on Friday

: not finally decided : subject to further consideration

the salary is open

an open question

: available for a qualified applicant : vacant

the job is still open

: remaining available for use or filling until canceled

an open order for more items

: available for future purchase

these items are in open stock

: available for breeding : not now pregnant

an open heifer

computers : not proprietary : available to third party developers

But while IBM pushes Notes, a proprietary technology created in the 1980s, a raft of new and much smaller rivals is plying the "open" technology of the 1990s: software on the World Wide Web, the fastest growing part of the Internet.—

Bart Ziegler

compare open-source

: characterized by ready accessibility and usually generous attitude: such as

(1)

: generous in giving

(2)

: willing to hear and consider or to accept and deal with : responsive

open to an offer

open to suggestion

(3)

: free from reserve or pretense : frank

was open about his personal life

(4)

of a relationship : not restricted to one partner at a time by mutual agreement see also open marriage

: accessible to the influx of new factors (such as foreign goods)

an open market

: having openings, interruptions, or spaces

open mesh

: such as

(1)

: being porous (see porous sense 2a) and friable

open soil

(2)

: sparsely distributed : scattered

open population

(3)

of a compound : having components (see component entry 1 sense 1) separated by a space in writing or printing (such as opaque projector)

: not made up of a continuous closed circuit (see circuit entry 1 sense 2a) of channels

the insect circulatory system is open

of an organ pipe : not stopped at the top

of a string on a musical instrument : not stopped by the finger

: being in operation

an open microphone

especially : ready for business, patronage, or use

the store is open from 9 to 5

the new highway will be open next week

a(1)

: characterized by lack of effective regulation of various commercial enterprises (see enterprise sense 2)

an open town

(2)

: not repressed (see repress sense 1) by legal controls

open gambling

: free from checking or hampering restraints

an open economy

: relatively unguarded by opponents

passed to an open teammate

: having been opened by a first ante, bet, or bid

the bidding is open

of punctuation : characterized by sparing use especially of the comma when possible without causing misinterpretation

mathematics

: containing none of its endpoints

an open interval

: being a set or composed of sets each point of which has a neighborhood all of whose points are contained in the set

the interior of a sphere is an open set

: being an incomplete electrical circuit

: not allowing the flow of electricity

an open switch

of a universe : having insufficient mass (see mass entry 2 sense 1c) to halt expansion gravitationally

open adverb

openly

ˈō-pən-lē

adverb

openness

ˈō-pə(n)-nəs

noun

open

2 of 3

verb

opened ˈō-pənd

ˈō-pᵊmd

; opening

ˈōp-niŋ,

ˈō-pə-

transitive verb

: to move (something, such as a door) from a closed position

: to make available for entry or passage by turning back (something, such as a barrier) or removing (something, such as a cover or an obstruction)

: to make available for or active in a regular function

open a new store

: to make accessible for a particular purpose

opened new land for settlement

: to initiate access to (a computer file) prior to use

: to disclose or expose to view : reveal

: to make more discerning or responsive : enlighten

must open our minds to the problems

: to bring into view or come in sight of by changing position

: to make an opening in

opened the boil

: to loosen and make less compact

open the soil

: to spread out : unfold

opened the book

: to enter upon : begin

opened the meeting

: to commence action in a card game by making (a first bid), putting a first bet in (the pot), or playing (a card or suit) as first lead

: to restore or recall (something, such as an order) from a finally determined state to a state in which the parties are free to prosecute or oppose

intransitive verb

: to become open

the office opened early

: to spread out : expand

the wound opened under the strain

: to become disclosed

a beautiful vista opened before us

: to become enlightened or responsive

: to give access

the rooms open onto a hall

: speak out sense 2

finally he opened freely on the subject

: to begin a course or activity

: to make a bet, bid, or lead in commencing a round or hand of a card game

: to provide the opening performance of a show before the main event

openability

ˌōp-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē

ˌō-pə-

noun

openable

ˈōp-nə-bəl

ˈō-pə-

adjective

open

3 of 3

noun

: opening

: open and unobstructed space: such as

: open air

: open water

: an open contest, competition, or tournament

: a public or unconcealed state or position

Choose the Right Synonym for open

frank, candid, open, plain mean showing willingness to tell what one feels or thinks.

frank stresses lack of shyness or secretiveness or of evasiveness from considerations of tact or expedience.

frank discussions

candid suggests expression marked by sincerity and honesty especially in offering unwelcome criticism or opinion.

a candid appraisal

open implies frankness but suggests more indiscretion than frank and less earnestness than candid.

open in saying what they think

plain suggests outspokenness and freedom from affectation or subtlety in expression.

plain talk

liable, open, exposed, subject, prone, susceptible, sensitive mean being by nature or through circumstances likely to experience something adverse.

liable implies a possibility or probability of incurring something because of position, nature, or particular situation.

liable to get lost

open stresses a lack of barriers preventing incurrence.

a claim open to question

exposed suggests lack of protection or powers of resistance against something actually present or threatening.

exposed to infection

subject implies an openness for any reason to something that must be suffered or undergone.

all reports are subject to review

prone stresses natural tendency or propensity to incur something.

prone to delay

susceptible implies conditions existing in one's nature or individual constitution that make incurrence probable.

very susceptible to flattery

sensitive implies a readiness to respond to or be influenced by forces or stimuli.

unduly sensitive to criticism

Examples of open in a Sentence

Adjective The door suddenly swung open. You left the blinds wide open. The meat was roasted over an open fire. I was so tired that I couldn't keep my eyes open. Don't chew with your mouth open. staring with her eyes wide open There's already an open jar of pickles in the refrigerator. They kept the road open throughout the winter. Verb This door is hard to open. “Open the door!” shouted the police officer. Would you mind if I opened a window? The car door opened and a beautiful woman stepped out. The door opened and closed so quietly that I didn't notice he had come in the room. This drawer is stuck. It just won't open! She comes home, turns on the TV, and starts opening her mail. She opened her eyes and smiled at me. I opened my umbrella and stepped out into the rain. “Open your mouth wide for me,” said the dentist. Noun a daguerreotype of a cowboy whose face is roughened from a hard life in the open

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Adjective

Washington could’ve been sharper on that possession — Jayden Daniels missed an open receiver on a crosser one play before the Ekeler drop. —

Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024 So Nancy Pelosi is upset that there wasn’t an open primary. —

Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024

Verb

First opened in 1970 as a product of the Chicano movement, the Denver school — now shuttered — taught its youth about Latino history and traditions. —

Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024 The Williamsburg Moxy Hotel opened on March 7, 2023. —

Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024

Noun

Share [Findings] Humboldt penguins who nest in the open have more pollutant metabolites in their blood than do penguins who nest in guano-rich burrows. —

Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024 The treasure trove included the rarest of rare examples from Lamborghini, Porsche, Ferrari, and Mercedes-Benz, stored in various states of disrepair, either in ramshackle steel sheds or out in the open. —

Howard Walker, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for open

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Verb, and Noun

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German offan open, Old English ūp up

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of open was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Phrases Containing open

Cite this Entry

Style

“Open.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

open

1 of 3 adjective

ˈō-pən

ˈōp-ᵊm

: allowing passage : not shut or blocked

an open door

open books

open pores

: not enclosed or covered

an open boat

an open fire

open wounds

: not secret : public

open dislike

: liable sense 2

open to challenge

: free to be used, entered, or taken part in by all

an open meeting

an open golf tournament

: easy to enter, get through, or see

open country

: not drawn together : spread out

an open flower

an open umbrella

: available for use : free

keep an hour open tomorrow

the only option open to us

: not decided or settled

an open question

: waiting to be filled

the job is still open

: available for purchase all or most of the time

these items are in open stock

: ready to consider appeals or ideas

an open mind

open to suggestion

: not allowing the flow of electricity : being an incomplete electrical circuit

an open switch

openly

ˈō-pən-lē

adverb

openness

ˈō-pən-nəs

noun

open

2 of 3 verb

opened ˈō-pənd

ˈōp-ᵊmd

; opening ˈōp-(ə-)niŋ

: to change or move from a shut or closed condition

open a book

the door opened

: to clear by or as if by removing something in the way

open a road blocked with snow

the clouds opened

: to make an opening in

open a boil

: to make or become ready for use

open a new store

: to make available for a certain purpose

open land for settlement

opened Japan to foreign trade

the office opens at eight

: to access for use

open the computer file

: to have an opening

the rooms open onto a hall

: begin sense 1, start

opened fire

open talks

open

3 of 3 noun

: open space

especially : outdoors entry 2

go out in the open

: a contest or tournament that is open

: a state or position that is public or is not concealed

Medical Definition

open

1 of 2 adjective

ˈō-pən

a(1)

: having the skin cracked, cut, or broken so that underlying tissue is exposed

abrasions, lacerations, and other open wounds

Legal Definition

open

1 of 2 adjective

: exposed to general view or knowledge : free from concealment

an open, notorious, continuous, and adverse use of the property

an open and obvious danger

Note: When a defect, hazard, or condition is open such that a reasonable person under the circumstances should have recognized the danger posed by it, a defendant is usually relieved of liability for failure to warn.

: not restricted to a particular group or category of participants

specifically : enterable by a registered voter regardless of political affiliation

an open primary

: being in effect or operation

an open mine

a bench warrant still open

: available for use

an open toll road

: not finally determined, decided, or settled : subject to further consideration

an open question

: remaining effective or available for use until canceled

an open insurance contract

: not repressed or regulated by legal controls

a state with open gambling

open

2 of 2 verb

opened; opening

transitive verb

: to begin the process of

open the succession

: to make the statement by which the trial of (a case) is begun and put before the court

: to be the first to speak in summing up or arguing (a case)

: to restore or recall (as an order, rule, or judgment) from a finally determined state to a state in which the parties are free to prosecute or oppose by further proceedings

intransitive verb

: to begin action : commence on some course or activity

the stock opened at par

: to begin the trial of a case

defendant…has the option of presenting an opening statement immediately after plaintiff opens—

J. H. Friedenthal et al.