opening

1 of 2

noun

open·​ing
ˈōp-niŋ, 
ˈō-pə- How to pronounce opening (audio)
Synonyms of openingnext
1
a
: an act or instance of making or becoming open
b
: an act or instance of beginning : commencement
especially : a formal and usually public event by which something new is put officially into operation
2
: something that is open: such as
a(1)
: breach, aperture
(2)
: an open width : span
a three-inch opening
b
: an area without trees or with scattered usually mature trees that occurs as a break in a forest
c
: two pages that face one another in a book
3
: something that constitutes a beginning: such as
a
: a usually planned series of moves made at the beginning of a game of chess or checkers compare endgame, middle game
b
: a first performance
attended the play's opening
4
a
: occasion, chance
She was waiting for an opening to tell her story.
b
: an opportunity for employment
The department has several openings.

opening

2 of 2

present participle of open entry 2

Synonyms of opening

Relevance

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of opening in a Sentence

Noun the opening of a cave They squeezed through a narrow opening between the fence and an oak tree. The enemy's troops poured through an opening in our defenses. We went to the play's opening.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Over the opening weekend of the Premier League season, versions of this conversation are ubiquitous across the country — in pubs, queues at burger vans, stadiums, online, at home. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 That’s because the scent leads with a masculine-leaning opening of almond blossom, pink pepper, and neroli, before softening to its woody vanilla base. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026 The mid-1980s saw the opening of Parton’s Dollywood, a theme park in rural Tennessee that embodies the spirit of the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and still draws an average of 4 million visitors a year. — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026 This has resulted in the opening of more than 60 new locations since 2022 including 24 new stores across 16 states in 2025, including its first locations in Maryland and Pennsylvania and 16 new stores across 10 different states in 2024. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for opening

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of opening was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing opening

Rhymes for opening

See All Rhymes for opening

Browse Nearby Words

open ice
opening
opening bid
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Opening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opening. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

opening

noun
open·​ing ˈōp-(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce opening (audio)
1
: an act or instance of making or becoming open
the opening of a new store
welcome to our grand opening
2
: something that is open: as
a
: breach entry 1 sense 2b
b
: an open place
an opening in the woods
3
: beginning sense 2
the opening of fishing season
4
a
: occasion entry 1 sense 1, chance
saw an opening to run with the ball
b
: a job opportunity
openings for welders and machinists

Medical Definition

opening

noun
open·​ing ˈōp-(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce opening (audio)
1
: an act or instance of making or becoming open
2
: something (as an anatomical aperture) that is open or opens

More from Merriam-Webster on opening

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about opening

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All