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Meaning & use

open forum

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌəʊpən ˈfɔːrəm/
US/ˌoʊpən ˈfɔːrəm/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A meeting or gathering where people can freely discuss ideas, ask questions, and share opinions without strict rules.

    Grammar: Countable: use 'an open forum' for one, 'open forums' for more than one. Often used with verbs like 'hold', 'attend', or 'organize'.

    Patterns

    • hold an open forum
    • attend an open forum
    • open forum on something

    The university held an open forum on climate change where students could ask questions.

    We organize a monthly open forum for employees to share their concerns.

    The open forum allowed community members to voice their opinions about the new park.

  2. nouncountablecomputing

    A public space or online platform where anyone can post comments or discuss topics openly.

    Grammar: Countable; often used with 'provide' or 'create' when talking about online spaces.

    Patterns

    • provide an open forum
    • online open forum

    The website serves as an open forum for people to debate political issues.

    Moderators try to keep the open forum respectful and free of spam.

Word forms

pluralopen forums

Common combinations

hold an open forum
The city council will hold an open forum to discuss the budget.
open forum on something
They attended an open forum on education reform.
participate in an open forum
Anyone can participate in the open forum by signing up online.
open forum discussion
The open forum discussion lasted for two hours.

Synonyms and how they differ

town meeting
A specific type of open forum in a town, often with formal procedures; 'open forum' is more general.
public discussion
Broader term; an open forum is usually a scheduled event, while a public discussion can happen anywhere.
panel discussion
A panel discussion has selected speakers, whereas an open forum encourages everyone to speak.

Opposites

closed meetingprivate session

Word family

forum noun
A place or meeting for public discussion.
open adjective
Not closed or restricted; accessible to all.

Commonly confused: open forum or open floor?

open forum vs open floor

In a meeting, 'open floor' means a time when anyone can speak, but it is not a type of meeting itself.

Practice

The school organized an ______ for parents to ask questions about the new curriculum.

Make it your own

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