open house

noun

1
: ready and usually informal hospitality or entertainment for all comers
2
: a house or apartment open for inspection especially by prospective buyers or tenants

Examples of open house in a Sentence

Westside High School will host an open house from 3 to 7 p.m. today, and all parents are invited to attend. colleges holding open houses for prospective students We held an open house last week in the hopes that someone would offer to buy our house. They kept open house, and in the evenings neighbors would stop by to talk or play music. They always kept an open house for visitors.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This year, village officials started hosting open houses to get a better idea of how to address the problem. Tara Molina, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026 Village Board members and Earthwise representatives defended their efforts to notify residents, including sending mailers and visiting 172 households near the project area to invite them to an open house event in October. Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026 The university has held open houses, posted public information pages, and produced irreverent merch, but nothing seems to tamp down suspicion. Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026 The decision comes days after the first AES Indiana community open house for the year was canceled. Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 6 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for open house

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of open house was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Open house.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open%20house. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

open house

noun
: usually informal hospitality or entertainment for all comers
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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