What does "lobby" mean?
An entryway or reception area; vestibule; passageway; corridor.
Lobby
/ˈlɒb.i/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An entryway or reception area; vestibule; passageway; corridor.
- Grammar: lobby is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: advocacy group, entrance hall, foyer, hall.
- Useful contrasts: deter, disinterest, ignore.
- Usage evidence: I'll meet you in the lobby at three.
How to use "lobby"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lobby" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lobby" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lobby" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lobby" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lobby" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "advocacy group" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lobby", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An entryway or reception area; vestibule; passageway; corridor.
"I had to wait in the lobby for hours before seeing the doctor."
- 2 lobscouse West-Midlands, uncountable
"My mam cooked us lobby for tea last night."
- 3 a large entrance or reception room or area wordnet
- 4 That part of a hall of legislation not appropriated to the official use of the assembly.
- 5 an interest group that tries to influence legislators or bureaucrats to act in their favor, typically through lobbying wordnet
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 A class or group of interested people who try to influence public officials; collectively, lobbyists.
"Near-synonym: special interest"
- 7 the people who support some common cause or business or principle or sectional interest wordnet
- 8 A virtual area where meeting attendees can await admittance from an authorized person.
- 9 A virtual area where players can chat and find opponents for a game.
- 10 An apartment or passageway in the fore part of an old-fashioned cabin under the quarter-deck.
- 11 A confined place for cattle, formed by hedges, trees, or other fencing, near the farmyard.
"Near-synonyms: cowyard, paddock"
- 12 A margin along either side of the playing field in the sport of kabaddi.
- 13 A waiting area in front of a bank of elevators.
"Ranger Leslie Thompson, assigned to elevator duty, brought the elevator to the surface about 12:30 to bring down the tourists who were in the lobby of the elevator tower at that time."
Verb
- 1 To attempt to influence (a public official or decision-maker) in favor of a specific opinion or cause. intransitive, transitive
"For years, pro-life groups have continued to lobby hard for restrictions on abortion."
- 2 detain in conversation by or as if by holding on to the outer garments of; as for political or economic favors wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"I'll meet you in the lobby at three."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lobby"?
Common synonyms include: advocacy group, entrance hall, foyer, hall, pressure group, access.
How do you use "lobby" in a sentence?
I'll meet you in the lobby at three.
How do you pronounce "lobby"?
Pronounced /ˈlɒb.i/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Medieval Latin lobia, lobium, laubia (“a portico, covered way, gallery”), borrowed from Frankish *laubijā (“arbour, shelter”), related to Old English lēaf (“foliage”). More at leaf. Doublet of leaf, lodge, and loggia. Political sense derives from the entrance hall of legislatures, where people traditionally tried to influence legislators because it was the most convenient place to meet them.
Etymology 2
Shortened from lobscouse.