open house

American  

noun

1. a party or reception during which anyone who wishes may visit to share in a celebration, meet a special guest, etc.

2. a time during which a school, institution, etc., is open to the public for exhibition or for some specific occasion.

3. a house hospitably open to all friends who may wish to visit it.

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idioms

1. keep open house, to be prepared to entertain visitors at any time.

   They keep open house for artists and writers.

open house British  

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): open day.   at-home.  an occasion on which an institution, such as a school, is open for inspection by the public

2. to be always ready to provide hospitality

3. a house available for inspection by prospective buyers

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Etymology

Origin of open house

First recorded in 1520–30

Example Sentences

No one was just driving around from open house to open house, and real estate agents weren’t about to ferry mere looky-loos around.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

On his first day in the city, he stopped by an apartment open house in the Haight neighborhood.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

At a recent open house in Scarsdale, the report went on, a real-estate agent said the SUVs were double-parked down the block.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

Next weekend, the players will disperse to rugby clubs around the country to sprinkle some stardust on RugbyFest, a nationwide "open house" designed to turn new followers of the game into regular players and volunteers.

From BBC • Sep. 29, 2025

I now saw quite clearly that Mrs. Willard had simply traded her open house in Russia for my bite to eat in New York.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath