Physically unobstructed, uncovered, etc. Able to have something pass through or along it.
open — Definition and meaning
• Able to have something pass through or along it.
• Not covered, sealed, etc.; having an opening or aperture showing what is inside.
• Not physically drawn together, folded or contracted.
• Of a space, free of objects and obstructions.
• Resulting from an incision, puncture or any other process by which the skin no longer protects an internal part of the body.
• Unlocked or unlatched but not physically open.
• In a position allowing fluid to flow.
• Of a sandwich, etc.: composed of a single slice of bread with a topping.
• Not of a quality to prevent communication, as by closing waterways, blocking roads, etc.; hence, not frosty or inclement; mild; used of the weather or the climate.
• Able to be used or interacted with in some way. Available for use or operation.
• Available for use or operation.
• Actively conducting or prepared to conduct business.
• Allowing entrance to visitors or the public.
• Receptive.
• Susceptible or vulnerable (to the stated means).
• In current use; connected to as a resource.
• Running.
• Not hidden or restricted. Not concealed; overt.
• Not concealed; overt.
• Of a person, not concealing their feelings, opinions, etc.; candid, ingenuous.
• Public.
• Written or sent with the intention that it may made public or referred to at any trial, rather than by way of confidential private negotiation for a settlement.
• With open access, of open science, or both.
• Made public, usable with a free licence and without proprietary components.
• Of a tournament or competition, allowing anyone to enter, especially or originally irrespective of professional or amateur status.
• Characterised by free-flowing play.
• Not completed or finalised. Not settled; not decided or determined; not withdrawn from consideration.
• Not settled; not decided or determined; not withdrawn from consideration.
• Not fulfilled or resolved; incomplete.
• Not having one end joined to the other; not forming a closed loop.
• In a position such that a circuit is not completed, preventing electricity from flowing.
• Having different first and last vertices.
• Ending in a vowel; not having a coda.
• Having a free variable.
• Which is part of a predefined collection of subsets of X {\displaystyle X} , that defines a topological space on X {\displaystyle X} .
• Of a note, played without pressing the string against the fingerboard.
• Of a note, played without closing any finger-hole, key or valve.
• Uttered with a relatively wide opening of the articulating organs; said of vowels.
• Uttered, as a consonant, with the oral passage simply narrowed without closure.
• Source code of a computer program that is not within the text of a macro being generated.(Can we add an example for this sense?)
• Having component words separated by spaces, as opposed to being joined together or hyphenated; for example, time slot as opposed to timeslot or time-slot.
• Of a club, bat or other hitting implement, angled upwards and/or (for a right-hander) clockwise of straight.
(Verb) To make or become physically unobstructed, uncovered, etc. To make or become accessible or clear for passage by moving from a shut position.
• To make or become accessible or clear for passage by moving from a shut position.
• To make or become clear by removal of objects and obstructions, so as to allow passage, access, or visibility.
• To unseal or uncover, or become unsealed or uncovered.
• To spread; to expand into a wider or looser position.
• To make (a bed) ready for a patient by folding back the bedcovers.
• To reveal one's hand.
• To move to a position allowing fluid to flow.
• To angle (a club, bat or other hitting implement) upwards and/or (for a right-hander) clockwise of straight.
• To cause or allow a gap to form or widen.
• To move to a position preventing electricity from flowing.
• To make or become available for use or interaction. To make or become operative or available.
• To make or become operative or available.
• To make or become accessible to customers, clients or visitors.
• To make or become receptive or susceptible (to something).
• To connect to a resource (a file, document, etc.) for viewing or editing.
• To turn on; to switch on.
• To start or begin. To start (an event or activity) as the first performer or actor.
• To start (an event or activity) as the first performer or actor.
• To precede another as a performer at a concert or show.
• Of an event, activity etc., to start or get underway.
• To bring up, broach.
• To enter upon, begin.
• To start running (a program or application, especially one with a screen-based interface).
• To begin a side's innings as one of the first two batsmen.
• To bet before any other player has in a particular betting round in a game of poker.
• To make an open relationship or marriage, i.e., with possible additional relationships.
• To disclose; to reveal; to interpret; to explain.
(Noun) Open or unobstructed space; an exposed location.
• Public knowledge or scrutiny; full view.
• A defect in an electrical circuit preventing current from flowing.
• A sports event in which anybody can compete, especially or originally irrespective of amateur or professional status.
• The act of something being opened, such as an e-mail message.
The importance of open
open appears in U.S. legal practice across multiple practice areas. Knowing what it means — and when it applies — can determine the outcome of motions, filings, and negotiations. For non-lawyers, the value of looking up a precise definition is that legal terms often carry meanings that differ from everyday usage; relying on the common meaning can lead to costly missteps.
How open is applied
In practice, open is invoked when parties, judges, or attorneys need to identify the legal status of an issue, the rights of those involved, or the procedural step required next. The definition shown above is sourced from Wiktionary , which is widely cited in U.S. legal practice. Because U.S. law is jurisdictionally layered — federal, state, and sometimes local — the precise application of the term can vary by court, so check the controlling authority for your specific case.