open city
Demilitarized urban zone
An open city is a city declared undefended during wartime, signaling to enemy forces that it will not resist and should not be attacked.
The declaration aims to spare civilians and preserve buildings from destruction: Paris was declared an open city in 1940 as German forces approached.
The term sometimes extends to cities known for tolerance or permissiveness.
- unoccupiedHaving no occupant
- white flagSignal of capitulation
- undefendedLacking protective measures
- truceAgreed halt to hostilities
- demilitarizedCleared of armed forces
free zone · neutral ground · neutrality · safe passage · public · noncombatant · armistice · peace treaty · metropolitan · municipality · surrender · no man's land · humanitarian law · Geneva Convention · war crime · occupied territory · unfortified · amnesty
open cityfortified city
Settlement with military defenses
fortress · fortress city · stronghold · garrison town · citadel
open citybesieged city
Settlement encircled by attackers
battle zone · combat zone · war zone · Stalingrad · theater of war
open, city, opens, opened, opening, opener, openers, openings, openly