opening

American  

[oh-puh-ning] / ˈoʊ pə nɪŋ /

noun

1. an act or instance of making or becoming open.

   The opening of the tomb gathered much publicity.

   Antonyms:

   closing

2. the act of a person or thing that opens.

   Her opening of the ceremony was brilliantly handled.

3. an unobstructed or unoccupied space or place.

   That narrow opening between buildings is a good place to shelter from the rain.

4. a void in solid matter; a gap, hole, or aperture.

   There was a little opening in the door they used as a peephole.

   Synonyms:

   rent, fissure, cleft, chasm, rift, breach, slit, orifice

5. a tract of land thinly wooded as compared with adjoining forest tracts.

6. the act of beginning; start; commencement.

   Tomorrow is the opening of a new session of Congress.

7. the first part or initial stage of anything.

   During the opening, the store had extra late hours.

8. an employment vacancy; an unfilled position or job.

   There are no openings for waitstaff at the moment.

9. an opportunity; chance.

10. a formal or official beginning, as of a sport season or a season's sale of goods.

    Today marks the opening of the deer-hunting season.

    Swimsuits sold well at the summer opening.

11. the first performance of a theatrical production.

12. the first public showing or use of something.

    It's rare for there to be so many journalists at the opening of an art exhibition.

13. a celebration of the first public showing or performance or of the first use or start of something.

    The new supermarket is going to give away prizes at its opening.

14. Law. the statement of the case made by counsel to the court or jury preliminary to adducing evidence.

15. a mode of beginning a game.

    a manual of chess openings.

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adjective

1. first, inaugural, commencing, or beginning.

   The opening chapter of the book caught my attention immediately.

opening British  

/ ˈəʊpənɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of making or becoming open

2. a vacant or unobstructed space, esp one that will serve as a passageway; gap

3. a tract in a forest in which trees are scattered or absent

4. the first part or stage of something

5. 1. the first performance of something, esp a theatrical production

   2. ( as modifier )

      the opening night

6. a specific or formal sequence of moves at the start of any of certain games, esp chess or draughts

7. an opportunity or chance, esp for employment or promotion in a business concern

8. law the preliminary statement made by counsel to the court or jury before adducing evidence in support of his case

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Other Word Forms

• preopening adjective
• self-opening adjective
• unopening adjective

Etymology

Origin of opening

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English; open ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

The big opening weekend for “Project Hail Mary” is a boost for Amazon MGM Studios, which had heavily promoted the film as an example of the big blockbusters it could produce.

From Los Angeles Times

Guardiola's celebration for the opening goal was only slightly less restrained than his jig down the line for City's second.

From BBC

"Depending on where the final figure comes in on Monday, this is a record-breaking opening for a Bollywood film in the US," said Gross, potentially besting 2022 hit "RRR."

From Barron's

Last week Cuban Deputy Prime Minister Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, a great-nephew of Mr. Castro, announced Cuba is opening to investment from exiles.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s the biggest-ever debut for a film produced by the e-commerce and cloud-computing giant and the biggest opening for any Hollywood film not part of an existing franchise since “Oppenheimer” in the summer of 2023.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• commencement
• inauguration
• kickoff
• launch
• launching
• opener
• start