The Britannica Dictionary
mobile search
Home
Ask the Editor
Word of the Day
Quizzes
Core Vocabulary
Browse the Dictionary
×
Britannica Homepage
Ask the Editor
Word of the Day
Quizzes
Core Vocabulary
Browse the Dictionary
The Britannica Dictionary
open–ended
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
open–ended
(adjective)
open–ended
/ˌoʊpən
ˈ
ɛndəd/
adjective
open–ended
/ˌoʊpən
ˈ
ɛndəd/
adjective
Britannica Dictionary definition of OPEN–ENDED
1
:
able to change
:
not ending in a certain way or on a certain date
“Our military presence in the region,” he said, “should not be
open-ended
.”
open-ended
plans
[+] more examples
[-] hide examples
[+] Example sentences
[-] Hide examples
2
:
allowing people to talk in a way that is not planned or controlled
an
open-ended
conversation/discussion
You have to ask
open-ended questions
if you don't want people to answer simply “yes” or “no.”
[+] more examples
[-] hide examples
[+] Example sentences
[-] Hide examples
ASK THE EDITOR
What are some ways to say "And you?" when someone asks me if I'm OK and I want to ask him/her back?
See the answer »
QUIZZES
Vocabulary Quiz
Test your word power
Take the Quiz »
Name That Thing
Take our visual quiz
Test Your Knowledge »
WORD OF THE DAY
expensive
:
costing a lot of money
Learn More »