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• open air
  open air

  noun

  the outdoors.
• open-air
  open-air

  adjective

  existing in, taking place in, or characteristic of the open air; outdoor.

open air

¹ American  

noun

1. the outdoors.

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open-air ² American  

[oh-puhn-air] / ˈoʊ pənˈɛər /

adjective

1. existing in, taking place in, or characteristic of the open air; outdoor.

   The orchestra gave three open-air concerts last summer.

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open air British  

noun

1. 1. the place or space where the air is unenclosed; the outdoors

   2. ( as modifier )

      an open-air concert

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Other Word Forms

• open-airishness
  noun
• open-airness
  noun
• open-airish
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of open air¹

First recorded in 1520–30

Origin of open-air²

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

open air open-air

Security is expected to be tight for the event, which will be held in the open air, following a series of recent incidents involving Trump.

From Barron's ● May 26, 2026

Because the giants stand in the open air, visitors who show up after hours — as I did — can ogle them any time.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026

A quarter—12 of 49—were confirmed to be autos with open air bag recalls.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 8, 2025

The team identified two distinct kinds of amber: one formed underground near the roots of resin-producing plants, and another that developed in the open air.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2025

I climbed a little higher and then stopped on a branch that reached out to one side, nothing beneath it but open air.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk

The sky above the open-air stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., was noticeably clearer Friday and could improve even more with the heavy rains forecast for Saturday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

New York New Jersey Stadium is an open-air facility, but at the moment there is no suggestion the World Cup final, with more than 80,000 spectators and a star-studded half-time show, will be affected.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026

England set for open-air Miami heat - but do Norway hold the edge?

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

When the tenor sax took charge, both the band and the open-air audience exploded in reaction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

From a distance it had looked like my own open-air market.

From "Amal Unbound" by Aisha Saeed