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

Educators across the nation don’t just teach; they shape futures, open doors and change lives every day.

From The Wall Street Journal

When I emerge from the gravel road, Coach Wiley is pacing outside the bus’s open door with a clipboard.

From Literature

I bend down to look at her through the open door.

From Literature

He was not yet near enough to glimpse the open door, but he was close enough to feel its gravity trying to draw him in.

From Literature

Lottery funding awarded to a community group in Coventry will allow it to provide an "open door" to those in need.

From BBC