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.

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Etymology

Origin of open city

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

open city

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

The installations, unveiled last week, include an oversize rendering of Rome’s ubiquitous drinking fountains and a giant wooden doorstop, acclaiming Rome as an open city.

From New York Times ● Jun. 25, 2021

Mostly, though, the guerrillas are symbols of resistance, especially after Manila is declared an open city and the Americans no longer actively defend it.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly