open house

American  

noun

• open houses
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• open houses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of open house

First recorded in 1520–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

open house

“I got teary-eyed when I walked up,” says Wendy Osmundson, who approached the carousel during a recent open house while on a stroll around the park.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

It cited a 2023 diversity open house, where it alleged staff told applicants they could reveal their race in answers to essay questions or in a diversity statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

The event was billed as an open house where concerned locals could get their questions answered.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

They finally managed to put an offer on a house after attending an open house that was empty.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026

“Dessert. Got it at the open house for you.”

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali