Table of Contents
Definition of Open Relationship
(noun) A romantic or sexual relationship in which each individual is free to enter into romantic or sexual relationships with others.
Open Relationship Pronunciation
Syllabification: o·pen re·la·tion·ship
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English - /OH-puhn ri-lAY-shuhn-ship/
- British English - /OH-puhn ri-lAY-shuhn-ship/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English - /ˈoʊpən riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp/
- British English - /ˈəʊpən rɪˈleɪʃənʃɪp/
Usage Notes
- Plural: open relationships
- Type: open marriage
Additional Information
- Family and Kinship Resources - Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
- Word origin of “open” and “relationship” - Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
- Coltrane, Scott. 2004. Families and Society: Classic and Contemporary Readings. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
- Walker, Rebecca, ed. 2009. One Big Happy Family: 18 Writers Talk about Open Adoption, Mixed Marriage, Polyamory, Househusbandry, Single Motherhood, and Other Realities of Truly Modern Love. New York: Riverhead Books.
Related Terms
- covenant marriage
- deinstitutionalization of marriage
- digamy
- marriage
- monogamy
- open marriage
- religion
- remarriage
- separation
Cite the Definition of Open Relationship
ASA - American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “open relationship.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved February 9, 2025 (https://sociologydictionary.org/open-relationship/).
APA - American Psychological Association (6th edition)
open relationship. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/open-relationship/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date - Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “open relationship.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed February 9, 2025. https://sociologydictionary.org/open-relationship/.
MLA - Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“open relationship.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 9 Feb. 2025. <https://sociologydictionary.org/open-relationship/>.