open-ended

/ˌoʊpən ˈɛndəd/

/əʊpɪnˈɛndɪd/

Something that's open-ended doesn't have a specific end date or time. You might buy an open-ended plane ticket to Rome if you're not sure when — or if — you'll want to come home.

Things that are limitless, or that have no restrictions or restraints, can be called open-ended. An open-ended lease on a apartment doesn't end on a specific day, and an open-ended babysitting job would be somewhat casual, rather than a regular, reliable job. Open-ended questions are complicated ones — they can't be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." The adjective open-ended has been in use since the mid-1800s.

Definitions of open-ended

1. adjective

   without fixed limits or restrictions
   “an open-ended discussion”

   synonyms:

   unrestricted

   not subject to or subjected to restriction
2. adjective

   allowing for future changes or revisions
   “open-ended agreements”

   synonyms:

   changeable, changeful

   such that alteration is possible; having a marked tendency to change
3. adjective

   allowing for a spontaneous response
   “an open-ended question”

   synonyms:

   indeterminate, undetermined

   not precisely determined or established; not fixed or known in advance