What does "opening" mean?
An act or instance of making or becoming open.
Opening
/ˈəʊ.pə.nɪŋ/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Top 500 ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An act or instance of making or becoming open.
- Grammar: opening is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: gap, crevice, hole, a leg up.
- Useful contrasts: brick walls, closing, closing paragraph.
- Usage evidence: I am counting on you to deliver the opening address.
How to use "opening"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "opening" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "opening" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "opening" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "opening" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "opening" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "gap" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "opening", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An act or instance of making or becoming open.
"The daily openings of the day lily bloom gives it its name."
- 2 the first of a series of actions wordnet
- 3 A gap permitting passage through.
"A salamander darted out of an opening in the rocks."
- 4 the act of opening something wordnet
- 5 An act or instance of beginning.
"There have been few factory and store openings in the US lately."
Show 20 more definitions
- 6 becoming open or being made open wordnet
- 7 Something that is a beginning.; The first performance of a show or play by a particular troupe.
"They were disappointed at the turnout for their opening, but hoped that word would spread."
- 8 a recognized sequence of moves at the beginning of a game of chess wordnet
- 9 Something that is a beginning.; The initial period when an art exhibition, fashion show, etc. is first opened, especially the first evening.
"The French openings decided that satin gowns, suits, wraps and even hats were to be in first fashion this autumn."
- 10 an entrance equipped with a hatch; especially a passageway between decks of a ship wordnet
- 11 Something that is a beginning.; The first few measures of a musical composition.
- 12 a vacant or unobstructed space that is man-made wordnet
- 13 Something that is a beginning.; The first few moves in a game.
"John spends two hours a day studying chess openings, and another two hours studying endgames."
- 14 an aperture or hole that opens into a bodily cavity wordnet
- 15 A vacant position, especially in an array.
"Are there likely to be any openings on the Supreme Court in the next four years?"
- 16 a possible alternative wordnet
- 17 A vacant position, especially in an array.; A time available in a schedule.
"If you'd like to make a booking with us, we have an opening at twelve o'clock."
- 18 the initial part of the introduction wordnet
- 19 A vacant position, especially in an array.; An unoccupied employment position.
"We have an opening in our marketing department."
- 20 the first performance (as of a theatrical production) wordnet
- 21 An opportunity, as in a competitive activity.
"The Reds carved the first opening of the second period as Glen Johnson's pull-back found David Ngog but the Frenchman hooked wide from six yards."
- 22 a ceremony accompanying the start of some enterprise wordnet
- 23 In mathematical morphology, the dilation of the erosion of a set.
- 24 an open or empty space in or between things wordnet
- 25 opportunity especially for employment or promotion wordnet
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of open form-of, gerund, participle, present
Adjective
- 1 Pertaining to the start or beginning of a series of events. not-comparable
"The opening theme of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is, perhaps, the most recognizable in all of European art music."
- 2 Of the first period of play, usually up to the fall of the first wicket. not-comparable
- 3 Of the batsman who opens the innings or of a bowler who opens the attack. not-comparable
Adjective
- 1 first or beginning wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"I am counting on you to deliver the opening address."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "opening"?
Common synonyms include: gap, crevice, hole, a leg up, abysm, abyss.
How do you use "opening" in a sentence?
I am counting on you to deliver the opening address.
How do you pronounce "opening"?
Pronounced /ˈəʊ.pə.nɪŋ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English openynge, openande, openand, from Old English openiende, from Proto-West Germanic *opanōndī, from Proto-Germanic *upanōndz, present participle of *upanōną (“to open”), equivalent to open + -ing. Cognate with West Frisian iepenjend, Dutch openend, German öffnend, Swedish öppnande, Icelandic opnandi.
Etymology 2
From Middle English openyng, openynge, openunge, from Old English openung (“an opening”), from Proto-West Germanic *opanungu, from Proto-Germanic *upanungō (“an opening”), equivalent to open + -ing. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Eepenge, Epenge (“an opening”), West Frisian iepening (“an opening”), Dutch opening (“an opening”), German Öffnung (“an opening”), Danish åbning (“an opening”), Swedish öppning (“an opening”).