open question

British  

noun

1. a matter which is undecided

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

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open question Idioms  

1. 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.”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

open question

“It really does leave it as an open question for people who are purchasing these beverages,” Bowdring said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

It is an open question how Yale’s medical school can survive in its present form without income provided by federally supported research.

From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026

Whether that strategy would pay off is still an open question.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 25, 2026

Technicians, actors and camera operators still have a place in this new ecosystem, though how many of them will be needed remains an open question.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

Whether the human race can actually maintain a population of five billion or more without a crash with a hot virus remains an open question.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston