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

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

Some also show scenes of playful visitors engaging with the finished pieces as tactile elements of the open city.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 3, 2021

“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

General Douglas MacArthur, commander of the US Army Forces in the Far East, declared Manila an open city on December 26, 1941.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly