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• open plan
  open plan

  noun

  a floor plan without fully enclosed spaces for distinct rooms.
• open-plan
  open-plan

  adjective

  having no or few dividing walls between areas

open plan

American  

noun

1. a floor plan without fully enclosed spaces for distinct rooms.

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open-plan British  

adjective

1. having no or few dividing walls between areas

   an open-plan office floor

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Other Word Forms

• open-plan
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of open plan

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

open plan open-plan

The main living space features an open plan that flows nicely from the living room to the dining area and sleek kitchen, which features a 14-foot island, quartz countertops, and luxe appliances.

From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026

“You go from a modern open plan office in opposition to Downing Street where you’re all scattered around like kids in a big house who’ve gone off to separate bedrooms to do their homework.”

From BBC ● Dec. 5, 2024

They often prefer an open plan because it gives them clear views of other people for signing.

From Scientific American ● Mar. 20, 2023

Five bedrooms, six baths, “thrilling panoramic views in all directions” from floor-to-ceiling arched windows, expansive open plan living and dining rooms, den, custom kitchen; 5,508 square feet.

From Washington Times ● Feb. 9, 2023

“One of the big things I like is the open plan on the main floor,” James says.

From Seattle Times ● May 6, 2022

It has 2,226 square feet of living space, a south-facing garden, an open-plan kitchen, a dining and living room renovated in 2021, plus a home office and gym.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

The open-plan kitchen, meanwhile, features ample room to entertain plenty of guests, featuring both a breakfast bar and a dining area.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 23, 2026

All over the world, millions of people have been doing something in private that’s now spilling into public spaces, on our sidewalks and in our open-plan offices alike.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 24, 2026

Brûlé has since transformed the 11,000 square feet, which once housed the hotel’s barbershop, gym and several offices, into a wildly imaginative and distinctively uptown version of open-plan living.

From New York Times ● Nov. 27, 2024

There was a big glass front at street-level, so anyone going by could see right into it: a large open-plan room with maybe a dozen desks arranged in irregular L-patterns.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro