open door

American  

noun

1. the policy of admitting people of all nationalities or ethnic groups to a country upon equal terms, as for immigration.

2. the policy or practice of trading with all nations on an equal basis.

3. admission or access; unrestricted opportunity.

   His experience had given him an open door to success in his field.

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open door British  

noun

1. a policy or practice by which a nation grants opportunities for trade to all other nations equally

2. free and unrestricted admission

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adjective

1. open to all; accessible

2. (in industrial relations) designating a policy of management being prepared to talk to workers in the office at any time

Other Word Forms

• open-door adjective

Etymology

Origin of open door

First recorded in 1520–30

Example Sentences

“Top schools open doors, but they don’t walk you through them,” the 29-year-old from Portugal said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Agents surrounded the car, looking in through open doors.

From Salon

My aunt stared back at me through the inch or so of open door, inspecting me like I was a sack of mealy flour.

From Literature

"Initiatives like this open doors for people with visual impairments and other disabilities to experience and pursue careers in farming - opportunities that might otherwise have been out of reach," a statement said.

From BBC

The revolution turns out to be pushing on an open door.

From The Wall Street Journal