Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

open-ended

[oh-puhn-en-did] / ˈoʊ pənˈɛn dɪd /
ADJECTIVE
with no prearranged limit or end
Synonyms
Antonyms
WEAK


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.

See Examples For:

This kind of open-ended investigation, often described as 'blue sky' research, can produce unexpected discoveries with benefits extending far beyond the original scientific question.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

When it comes to Halloween costumes, creatures are a time-tested crowd favorite, as well as a fairly open-ended prompt that can be left up to interpretation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Government ethics ranked second behind the economy in Pew's open-ended survey, cited by nine percent of voters.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

This was a long, open-ended undertaking that caused friction in the team.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

We worked by contriving intricate and open-ended emotional conspiracies.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee


Vocabulary lists containing open-ended

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 14,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training