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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

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

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

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

A quarter—12 of 49—were confirmed to be autos with open air bag recalls.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 8, 2025

The sole stairway itself must either be pressurized to keep out the smoke or open air.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 23, 2025

Ray slipping from behind her out into the open air.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers

It takes place within an open-air arena which not only resembles a giant bird nest but is also actually being used as one - swallows moved into the rafters within days of its completion.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

When the tenor sax took charge, both the band and the open-air audience exploded in reaction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

The pair is eyeing late summer for a doors-open debut, with an open-air block party that will close Imperial Street for dancing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Santa Monica Place, an open-air mall two blocks from the beach that used to host a Louis Vuitton and other luxury stores, went into receivership last year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

The two of them walked side by side through the noisy town to the open-air market.

From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty