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

Example Sentences

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 As for an open house, there will be some movement on that front this summer. Ndaschel, oregonlive, 17 Mar. 2023 Despite this, the teaser goes heavy on references to the original, including a snippet of a scene that is directly pulled from 1987 version, in which the Lizzy Caplan/Glenn Close character, Alex Forrest, visits her former lover’s open house. Vulture, 1 Mar. 2023 Coaches have the ability to speak to students not enrolled in the school at something like an open house, but only in the presence of an administrator. Melanie Laughman, The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2023 At the July open house, Lindsay, who is 58, told those gathered that his blindness hasn’t stopped him from marrying, from working as a broadcaster and banker, from becoming a motivational speaker or from enjoying the outdoors. Dallas News, 4 Aug. 2022 For more information about the open house, visit newtonarmory.com. John Hilliard, BostonGlobe.com, 19 July 2022 A lot of people showed up at the open house, and there was a bidding war. Curbed, 21 June 2022 The open houses are scheduled to conclude by 9 p.m. The second phase of the new format – voting on the 2023 questionnaire – will be held online only from noon April 10 to noon April 13 via the Wisconsin Conservation Congress Spring Hearing webpage. Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2023 Middle and high school students interested in exploring science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs at Elgin Community College can attend a free open house from 6 to 8 p.m. Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 14 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'open house.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of open house was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near open house

Cite this Entry

“Open house.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open%20house. Accessed 3 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

open house

noun
: usually informal hospitality or entertainment for all comers
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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