: organized to allow for contingencies: such as
a
: permitting additional debt to be incurred under the original indenture subject to specified conditions
an open-end mortgage
b
: having a fluctuating capitalization of shares that are issued or redeemed at the current net asset value or at a figure in fixed ratio to this
an open-end investment company
compare closed-end

Examples of open-end in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The composition will be open-ended enough for commuters to catch just a snippet before rushing off to their trains. Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2025 The Trump administration threatens to destroy this delicate balance by withholding billions of dollars in federal funding unless the recipients comply with a long and open-ended list of demands — in effect, nationalizing America’s elite universities. Adrian Wooldridge, Twin Cities, 6 May 2025 More importantly for McBride, Patterson, and DeVine, who convened on a Zoom together shortly before the series finale aired, the series’ conclusion is open-ended enough that the audience who watched the Gemstones recurrently fight and make up can imagine for themselves where the siblings go next. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 May 2025 Contrast that with brands that offer vague or open-ended rewards. Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025 Israel says the operation is open-ended and expected to expand, raising fears of the 17-month-old war fully reigniting. TIME, 18 Mar. 2025 But the United States will thrive only if Washington recognizes the danger of so many intersecting national fault lines and neutralizes these risks through patient and open-ended diplomacy. Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025 Gold mining company shares can be purchased individually, through open-end mutual funds, or through ETFs. Bob Carlson, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025 Then Stafford’s wife, Kelly, left their future in the NFL open-ended in a brief comment on her ‘Timeout’ podcast. Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of open-end was in 1917

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Open-end.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open-end. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

Legal Definition

open-end

adjective
: organized to allow for contingencies: as
a
: permitting additional debt to be incurred under the original debt instrument subject to specified conditions see also open-end mortgage at mortgage
b
: having fluctuating capitalization of shares that are issued or redeemed at the current net asset value or at a figure in fixed ratio to this
an open-end investment company
compare closed-end
c
: calling for the filling by a particular contractor of all government needs for a specific product during a specified period
an open-end contract
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!