open-minded
Americanadjective
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having or showing a mind receptive to new ideas or arguments.
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unprejudiced; unbigoted; impartial.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of open-minded
First recorded in 1820–30
Explanation
If you're open-minded, you're willing to consider new ideas. An open-minded voter doesn't always stick to his or her political party and instead considers the opinions of candidates from both parties. (Finding an open-minded voter is a bit like trying to find a unicorn. Good luck.) When you've got a serious dilemma — say your two best friends aren't speaking to each other — it's usually helpful to ask an open-minded person for advice. Open-minded people can consider a problem from both sides, without injecting their own opinions or biases, and can often point you in the right direction. Open-minded is first recorded in the 1820s, from the popular figurative meaning of open (think "openhearted").
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.
Others think he will be more open minded and conciliatory than his rhetoric suggests.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026
She told the BBC she was "open minded" over what theme should be introduced, but said continuing with historical figures was not being ruled out.
From BBC • Jul. 1, 2025
Some really good ways to cut down on food waste at home is to be open minded and flexible in your cooking.
From Salon • Aug. 17, 2024
“The people here are so open minded, it’s what’s missing in the world today,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2024
“But Blancaflor was giving and kind and open minded to all she encountered, with rich reddish-brown skin like the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.”
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
