open-ended Hear it!

open-ended Definition

open-ended (-en′did)

adjective

  1. having no set limits as to duration, direction, amount, number, etc.; broad, unlimited, or unrestricted an open-ended discussion
  2. open to change; allowing for modifications as things develop
  3. designating or of a question allowing for a freely formulated answer rather than one made by a choice from among predetermined answers

open-ended Related Forms

o′pen-end′edness noun

open-ended Synonyms

open-ended

modif.

going on, without specified limits, optional, indefinite, indeterminate; see also continuing.

open-ended Usage Examples

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • leave: Visconti thus leaves the story open-ended, showing that there has to be a revolutionary change to achieve anything.
  • make: A lot of powerful effects and transitions are available, which makes the software quite open-ended and very creative.

Modifies a noun

  • gameplay: All games will deliver the classic, open-ended gameplay along with exclusive features per platform.
  • question: There was a single open-ended question for further comments.
  • questionnaire: The second research, involved 25 participants, using open-ended questionnaires.
  • exploration: Students will have the freedom to choose in an atmosphere supportive of open-ended exploration.
  • commitment: No flat fees with vast, open-ended commitments of time.
  • investigation: The core course focused on ways of promoting children's questioning skills in open-ended investigations.

Modifying Another Word

  • deliberately: Questions b and c are deliberately open-ended to see how pupils tackle the problems.
  • relatively: Such interviews tend to be structured around the chronology of the life course, but are otherwise relatively open-ended.
  • very: I do agree that the general request is very open-ended.
  • so: The maps are not always so open-ended, tho, and you can and will run into arbitrary borders if you try to.
  • not: They are not open-ended, good triumphs over evil, and everyone ' lives happily ever after ' .
  • fairly: They cater [ to ] a range of abilities as the tasks are fairly open-ended.

Infinitive complement

allow: Calm systems are very much open-ended to allow for future development.

Used with adjective complement

  • remain: Relationships remain open-ended, unresolved or simply passing liaisons of sexual convenience.
  • leave: The exact class content of the state is left open-ended.
  • become: Is there a point at which fixed-term contracts must become open-ended?

Preposition: in

  • nature: With support, the children began to generate increasingly sophisticated problems that were open-ended in nature.
  • scope: The project, open-ended in scope because of the huge amount of data involved, comprises four different strands.