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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

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

Unlike in 1986, when many of the artifacts, especially the elephant tusks, decomposed after being exposed to the open air, Ran improvised a new system for the dig.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 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

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

In the spring, it was dried in the open air before being transported to state farms.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

On the hillside above the shop is an open-air lunch area, its seating made from wooden bleachers salvaged from the old right-field pavilion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

Residents used shawls and umbrellas to protect themselves in open-air hallways.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

Each fall, ArtPrize — one of the world’s largest international art competitions — transforms the entire downtown into an open-air gallery.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

He will also meet people with disabilities and sick members of the faith at Rimini's cathedral before presiding over an open-air mass at the city's port in early evening.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

As part of her housekeeping responsibilities, Maria would have shopped daily in large open-air markets such as this.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman