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open enrollment

American  

noun

  1. open admissions.

  2. enrollment at a public school of choice rather than compulsory assignment to a particular school because of where one lives.


Etymology

Origin of open enrollment

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

You can switch back to traditional Medicare during the annual open enrollment period, but outside of an initial window at age 65 you are not guaranteed the ability to buy a Medigap policy.

From Barron's Jun. 11, 2026

The cancellations amount to 19% of those who had renewed their policies on the state marketplace during open enrollment, state officials said.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 2, 2026

“While open enrollment in Idaho has ended, the full impact of affordability concerns will not be known for many months,” said Pat Kelly, CEO of Idaho’s marketplace.

From MarketWatch Jan. 24, 2026

She decided to skip dental insurance during open enrollment this month to mitigate increases to her overall premiums, and she downgraded her home insurance policy to a higher-deductible option with lower yearly payments.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 21, 2025

Oakland’s open enrollment process allowed families to apply to any school in the district, and Oakland High was a popular choice.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

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