open city

American  

noun

1. a city that, during a war, is officially declared demilitarized and open to occupation, and that will consequently not be defended, in order to spare it, under international law, from bombardment or other military attack.

2. a city or autonomous city-state that gives equal access and status to inhabitants and visitors without regard to religious, ethnic, racial, or national affiliation.

---

Etymology

Origin of open city

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Los Alamos became an open city when the security gates came down in 1957.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 23, 2023

Essential services including hotels, supermarkets and pharmacies will however remain open, city officials said as they announced the measures at a press conference on Saturday.

From Reuters • Jul. 9, 2022

Quartz also mentioned one open city proposal, which would have the coin serve as a reward for people who call to report rideshare scooters left laying around.

From The Verge • May 16, 2022

“During what was the most critical phase for controlling the outbreak, Wuhan was essentially an open city owing to the efforts of local officials to keep a lid on the story.”

From Washington Post • Jan. 29, 2020

In Europe, it has long been a rule of military morals, that no open city shall ever be bombarded.

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 61, No. 380, June, 1847 by Various