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

The museum also hosts quarterly open houses for locals looking to learn more about their hometown history and uninitiated out-of-towners intrigued by roadside mythos of the South’s most iconic diner. —Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026

The open house featured two large cakes, a sandwich meal, and a sparkling beverage toast as part of the festivities. —Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026

With the presentation complete, the focus will now turn to holding discussions with residents in smaller settings, including an open house in late June. —Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 June 2026

Prospective buyers depart an open house in Rancho Cucamonga, California, US, on Saturday, May 9, 2026. —Diana Olick, CNBC, 3 June 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