open question

noun

1. a matter which is undecided

2. a question that cannot be answered with a yes or no but requires a developed answer

Idioms and Phrases

An unresolved issue, one that has not been finally determined. For example, Whether the town should pave all the unpaved roads remains an open question. In the mid-1800s this term acquired a specific meaning in the British Parliament, that is, “an issue on which members may vote independently, without respect to their party affiliation.”

Example Sentences

For one, whether Saudi Arabia can pony up $1 trillion — a figure amounting to 80% of its annual GDP and more than twice its foreign exchange reserves — is an open question.

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An open question is how quickly all air-traffic controllers will get back to work, after some called in sick because they weren’t getting paid.

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It’s a completely open question.

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But Broadway loses its luster if the streets and subways feel dangerous, and it’s an open question how much Mr. Mamdani will handcuff the New York Police Department.

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But the gains are concentrated among seven stocks associated with spending on artificial intelligence, and whether they can be sustained is an open question.

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