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• 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.

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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.

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open air British  

noun

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

   2. ( as modifier )

      an open-air concert

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Other Word Forms

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

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Etymology

Origin of open air¹

First recorded in 1520–30

Origin of open-air²

First recorded in 1820–30

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

open air open-air

Moments after the final rapid-fire rhythm of Anthrax’s opening number “Caught in a Mosh” fades from the open air of the Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J., shaggy-headed vocalist Joey Belladonna addresses the audience.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

Unlike in 1986, when many of the artifacts, especially the elephant tusks, decomposed after being exposed to the open air, Ran improvised a new system for the dig.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

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

The official statistics are essentially the number of people sleeping or about to bed down in the open air or in buildings not designated for habitation, such as car parks, on a single night.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

It snatched Clare off his hind legs and swept him into the open air, his claws stretching toward Gingersnipes, who remained wedged in the tree, wide-eyed and frozen.

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

Near one large shopping mall lies an open-air market where this shift is noticeable.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

Stored in an open-air warehouse in tropical Darwin, Australia, are dozens of trays containing cylindrical cores of rock.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 27, 2026

Pope Leo XIV rode down the French capital's iconic Champs-Elysees avenue in his popemobile on Saturday to the cheers of huge crowds of faithful, ahead of a giant open-air mass.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

That morning, Aggrey bought fresh fruit from the open-air market and baguettes from the local boulangerie, then helped cook the meal with a group of de Montalembert’s friends and family.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

I scramble out of my bed, through the open-air corridor, and into the back courtyard, guzzling the cool night breezes.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

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