open-minded
Americanadjective
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having or showing a mind receptive to new ideas or arguments.
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unprejudiced; unbigoted; impartial.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of open-minded
First recorded in 1820–30
Explanation
If you're open-minded, you're willing to consider new ideas. An open-minded voter doesn't always stick to his or her political party and instead considers the opinions of candidates from both parties. (Finding an open-minded voter is a bit like trying to find a unicorn. Good luck.) When you've got a serious dilemma — say your two best friends aren't speaking to each other — it's usually helpful to ask an open-minded person for advice. Open-minded people can consider a problem from both sides, without injecting their own opinions or biases, and can often point you in the right direction. Open-minded is first recorded in the 1820s, from the popular figurative meaning of open (think "openhearted").
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The community was open-minded, so a mixed-race family wasn’t an issue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
One is an unsubtle effort to make us nicer and more open-minded toward this tech.
From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026
Their late, beloved Dolly Parton was a self-invented, child-free artistic genius and unabashed sex symbol in a devoted but open-minded marriage, who brought the lamplight of literature to children.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
When he took office, he said he was "open-minded" about the scheme.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
And yet this guard’s guard was highly literate and open-minded.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
