Jump To:

• open air
  open air

  noun

  the outdoors.
• open-air
  open-air

  adjective

  existing in, taking place in, or characteristic of the open air; outdoor.

open air

¹ American  

noun

1. the outdoors.

---

open-air ² American  

[oh-puhn-air] / ˈoʊ pənˈɛər /

adjective

1. existing in, taking place in, or characteristic of the open air; outdoor.

   The orchestra gave three open-air concerts last summer.

---

open air British  

noun

1. 1. the place or space where the air is unenclosed; the outdoors

   2. ( as modifier )

      an open-air concert

---

Other Word Forms

• open-airishness
  noun
• open-airness
  noun
• open-airish
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of open air¹

First recorded in 1520–30

Origin of open-air²

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

open air open-air

It was not as though the open air of a farmers market was going to cure my base shopping instincts.

From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026

Early in the Covid-19 pandemic, he said, farmers markets saw a similar boom at the expense of traditional grocers, as shoppers were drawn by the opportunity to shop in the open air.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

Security is expected to be tight for the event, which will be held in the open air, following a series of recent incidents involving Trump.

From Barron's ● May 26, 2026

The announcer is practicing at a new open air arena hosting one of the most controversial events in recent sporting history: the Enhanced Games.

From BBC ● May 23, 2026

The ground was being swept out from under him and he was plummeting through open air.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Each fall, ArtPrize — one of the world’s largest international art competitions — transforms the entire downtown into an open-air gallery.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

The hilltop cemetery may be a resting place for multitudes, but it’s also a seemingly endless open-air sculpture museum.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

From there, I’ll hit Smorgasburg L.A., the largest open-air food market in town.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

He will also meet people with disabilities and sick members of the faith at Rimini's cathedral before presiding over an open-air mass at the city's port in early evening.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

On May 29, 1948, Joey puts on a dress, brushes her hair, and walks to the open-air chapel at Tala.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly