opening

noun

open·​ing

ˈōp-niŋ, 

ˈō-pə- 

1

a

: an act or instance of making or becoming open

b

: an act or instance of beginning : commencement

especially : a formal and usually public event by which something new is put officially into operation

2

: something that is open: such as

a(1)

: breach, aperture

(2)

: an open width : span

a three-inch opening

b

: an area without trees or with scattered usually mature trees that occurs as a break in a forest

c

: two pages that face one another in a book

3

: something that constitutes a beginning: such as

a

: a usually planned series of moves made at the beginning of a game of chess or checkers compare endgame, middle game

b

: a first performance

attended the play's opening

4

a

: occasion, chance

She was waiting for an opening to tell her story.

b

: an opportunity for employment

The department has several openings.

Synonyms of opening

• opportunity
• chance
• room

Examples of opening in a Sentence

the opening of a cave

They squeezed through a narrow opening between the fence and an oak tree.

The enemy's troops poured through an opening in our defenses.

We went to the play's opening.

Recent Examples on the Web

Durham fired an 18-yard touchdown pass to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Reggie Brigman into the right corner of the end zone, and kicker Lukasz Smolen added the extra point to give the Golden Bulls a 7-0 lead during the opening minutes. —Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 16 Nov. 2025

With his success at Ole Miss, Kiffin has consistently been linked to rumors about other openings across the sport—some of which are considered more attractive or potentially lucrative than his current position. —Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025

Another slow start The Horned Frogs’ offensive struggles in the first quarter continued in Provo as the Horned Frogs found themselves in a 10-0 deficit after the opening quarter. —Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Nov. 2025

Distributed by Maoyan locally, the Japanese anime juggernaut delivered the highest Imax opening weekend box office gross, attendance and indexing ever for a Japanese title in China. —Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 16 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing opening

• cold opening
• grand opening
• opening crawl
• opening gambit
• opening hours
• opening night
• pre-opening

Rhymes for opening

• reopening

Kids Definition

opening

noun

open·​ing ˈōp-(ə-)niŋ 

1

: an act or instance of making or becoming open

the opening of a new store

welcome to our grand opening

2

: something that is open: as

a

: breach entry 1 sense 2b

b

: an open place

an opening in the woods

3

: beginning sense 2

the opening of fishing season

4

a

: occasion entry 1 sense 1, chance

saw an opening to run with the ball

b

: a job opportunity

openings for welders and machinists

Medical Definition

opening

noun

open·​ing ˈōp-(ə-)niŋ 

1

: an act or instance of making or becoming open

2

: something (as an anatomical aperture) that is open or opens