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

At a recent open house event, Turner was one of four finalists for the job of police chief who met with the public. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026

Medicine and Small Valuables An open house means welcoming strangers into your home, so anything valuable, sensitive, or easy to pocket should be stowed away beforehand. — Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2026

Other counties hold open houses and information sessions that let voters know that most states implement checks and balances that are quite similar – which helps dispel distrust about what’s happening in other parts of the country. — The Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep. 2026

The county held an open house Tuesday at Flossmoor Village Hall to introduce the project to residents and gather feedback. — Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026

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