open-ended
Americanadjective
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not having fixed limits; unrestricted; broad.
an open-ended discussion.
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allowing for future changes, revisions, or additions.
open-ended agreements.
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having no fixed answer.
an open-ended question.
adjective
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without definite limits, as of duration or amount
an open-ended contract
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denoting a question, esp one on a questionnaire, that cannot be answered "yes", "no", or "don't know"
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of open-ended
Explanation
Something that's open-ended doesn't have a specific end date or time. You might buy an open-ended plane ticket to Rome if you're not sure when — or if — you'll want to come home. Things that are limitless, or that have no restrictions or restraints, can be called open-ended. An open-ended lease on a apartment doesn't end on a specific day, and an open-ended babysitting job would be somewhat casual, rather than a regular, reliable job. Open-ended questions are complicated ones — they can't be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." The adjective open-ended has been in use since the mid-1800s.
Vocabulary lists containing open-ended
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Engineering - Introductory
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Engineering: Defining Problems and Designing Solutions - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
New Yorker writer John McPhee, 95, calls these late-season ambitions “old-people projects,” open-ended activities designed to keep one busy until life’s closing curtain, whenever it might descend.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later clarified that Trump's extension is open-ended, and has no new deadline.
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026
But curiosity and open-ended questions are powerful; they open people up.
From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026
Rivera said she was deeply worried about how an open-ended strike would affect her emotionally fragile kids — and frustrated by there being less than 24 hours of notice either way.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
What those from the Deep South wanted was open-ended access to African imports to stock their plantations.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
