open-ended

[ oh-puhn-en-did ]
See synonyms for open-ended on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. not having fixed limits; unrestricted; broad: an open-ended discussion.

  2. allowing for future changes, revisions, or additions: open-ended agreements.

  1. having no fixed answer: an open-ended question.

Origin of open-ended

1
First recorded in 1815–25; open + end1 + -ed3

Other words from open-ended

  • o·pen-end·ed·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for open-ended

open-ended

adjective
  1. without definite limits, as of duration or amount: an open-ended contract

  2. denoting a question, esp one on a questionnaire, that cannot be answered "yes", "no", or "don't know"

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012