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• open plan
  open plan

  noun

  a floor plan without fully enclosed spaces for distinct rooms.
• open-plan
  open-plan

  adjective

  having no or few dividing walls between areas

open plan

American  

noun

1. a floor plan without fully enclosed spaces for distinct rooms.

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open-plan British  

adjective

1. having no or few dividing walls between areas

   an open-plan office floor

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Other Word Forms

• open-plan
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of open plan

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

open plan open-plan

The then 21-year-old appointed Slocombe to build an extension and make the ground floor of the home open plan.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

The main living space features an open plan that flows nicely from the living room to the dining area and sleek kitchen, which features a 14-foot island, quartz countertops, and luxe appliances.

From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026

Both autistic and deaf people also object to visual clutter, harsh lighting and a feeling of personal vulnerability in an open plan.

From Scientific American ● Mar. 20, 2023

Five bedrooms, six baths, “thrilling panoramic views in all directions” from floor-to-ceiling arched windows, expansive open plan living and dining rooms, den, custom kitchen; 5,508 square feet.

From Washington Times ● Feb. 9, 2023

Divide and conquer open plan areas with floating furniture that delineate the space and can be used on two sides.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 13, 2023

The biggest set is the interior of the police headquarters – an open-plan office with personal effects on each of the desks and boards of photographs and details of the fictional cases they're working on.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

Colorful rugs and artworks help to add a vibrant feel to a den space, which features a built-in fireplace, while a variety of textures bring a fresh perspective to the open-plan design.

From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026

All over the world, millions of people have been doing something in private that’s now spilling into public spaces, on our sidewalks and in our open-plan offices alike.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 24, 2026

In the corner of the players' canteen, now huge and, like most of the building, light and open-plan, is the familiar sight of a red, white and blue barber's pole.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2025

It showed this beautifully modern open-plan office with three or four people who worked in it having some kind of joke with each other.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro