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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

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Etymology

Origin of open air¹

First recorded in 1520–30

Origin of open-air²

First recorded in 1820–30

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

open air open-air

Moments after the final rapid-fire rhythm of Anthrax’s opening number “Caught in a Mosh” fades from the open air of the Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J., shaggy-headed vocalist Joey Belladonna addresses the audience.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

It was not as though the open air of a farmers market was going to cure my base shopping instincts.

From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026

Early in the Covid-19 pandemic, he said, farmers markets saw a similar boom at the expense of traditional grocers, as shoppers were drawn by the opportunity to shop in the open air.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

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

Bod sat in the open air on the top of the hill and held the brooch.

From "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman

Stored in an open-air warehouse in tropical Darwin, Australia, are dozens of trays containing cylindrical cores of rock.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 27, 2026

Pope Leo XIV rode down the French capital's iconic Champs-Elysees avenue in his popemobile on Saturday to the cheers of huge crowds of faithful, ahead of a giant open-air mass.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

Staging an open-air stadium fight in the UK at that time carries immense risk.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

I had never visited Leimert Park’s Sunday open-air market, either, so I asked Clark to give me a tour last weekend.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

I scramble out of my bed, through the open-air corridor, and into the back courtyard, guzzling the cool night breezes.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

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