Meanings
plural open relationships
- A romantic or sexual relationship in which all parties mutually consent to the possibility of engaging in additional concurrent romantic or sexual relationships with others.
"Ryan wants to have sex and says he and his boyfriend have an open relationship, but I feel too guilty to go all the way."
2004 March, Out, page 1321 more example
"But practically and logistically, what does an open relationship actually involve? Apparently, it's about 'being able to love yourself and others, plus healing some of the guilt and shame we have around our sexuality," says Susannah.
2003 January 26, Rose Rouse, “Multiple choices”, in The Observer
Translations
Catalan relació oberta
- relació obertaa relationship with possible additional relationships
Chinese Mandarin 開放式關係 /开放式关系, 開放性關係 /开放性关系
- 開放式關係 /开放式关系 (kāifàngshì guānxì)a relationship with possible additional relationships
- 開放性關係 /开放性关系 (kāifàngxìng guānxì)a relationship with possible additional relationships
Danish åbent forhold
- åbent forholda relationship with possible additional relationships
Dutch open relatie, vrije relatie
- open relatiea relationship with possible additional relationships
- vrije relatiea relationship with possible additional relationships
Esperanto malfermita rilato, malferma rilato
- malfermita rilatoa relationship with possible additional relationships
- malferma rilatoa relationship with possible additional relationships
Finnish avoin suhde
- avoin suhdea relationship with possible additional relationships
French relation libre
- relation librea relationship with possible additional relationships
German offene Beziehung
- offene Beziehunga relationship with possible additional relationships
Japanese オープン・リレーションシップ
- オープン・リレーションシップ (ōpun rirēshonshippu)a relationship with possible additional relationships
Polish związek otwarty
- związek otwartya relationship with possible additional relationships
Portuguese relacionamento aberto
- relacionamento abertoa relationship with possible additional relationships
Russian откры́тые отноше́ния
- откры́тые отноше́ния (otkrýtyje otnošénija)a relationship with possible additional relationships
Spanish relación abierta
- relación abiertaa relationship with possible additional relationships
Swedish öppet förhållande, öppen relation
- öppet förhållandea relationship with possible additional relationships
- öppen relationa relationship with possible additional relationships
Cite this entry
open relationship. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/open%20relationship
“open relationship.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/open%20relationship. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “open relationship,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/open%20relationship.
Source: open relationship on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.