plural open houses
1
US
: an event in which an organization (such as a school or company) invites the public to visit in order to see the things that happen there
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
called also (British) open day
2
US
: an event in which anyone who is interested in buying a particular house, apartment, etc., is invited to go inside and look at it
We held an open house last week in the hopes that someone would offer to buy our house.
3
chiefly British
: a home or other place in which guests or visitors are welcome
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.
Cite this Entry
“Open house.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/open%20house. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.
Copy Citation
