open house

American  

noun

1. a party or reception during which anyone who wishes may visit to share in a celebration, meet a special guest, etc.

2. a time during which a school, institution, etc., is open to the public for exhibition or for some specific occasion.

3. a house hospitably open to all friends who may wish to visit it.

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idioms

1. keep open house, to be prepared to entertain visitors at any time.

   They keep open house for artists and writers.

open house British  

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): open day.   at-home.  an occasion on which an institution, such as a school, is open for inspection by the public

2. to be always ready to provide hospitality

3. a house available for inspection by prospective buyers

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Etymology

Origin of open house

First recorded in 1520–30

Example Sentences

Sometimes people spend the night — it’s an open house.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026

“You’d see the enthusiastic eighth-grader dragging the skeptical parents” to open house events years ago, said Tom Hickey, the superintendent of South Shore Regional Vocational Technical High School.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who attended an open house at the Lujan residence on Tuesday, told me that bureaucratic hurdles and other challenges have hampered rebuilding efforts.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 27, 2025

At a recent open house in Scarsdale, the report went on, a real-estate agent said the SUVs were double-parked down the block.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

With the open house set to start in a few minutes, I realized he couldn’t even attempt to take over the event.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu