foyer
Americannoun
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the lobby of a theater, hotel, or apartment house.
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a vestibule or entrance hall in a house or apartment.
noun
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a hall, lobby, or anteroom, used for reception and as a meeting place, as in a hotel, theatre, cinema, etc
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(in Britain) a centre providing accommodation and employment training, etc. for homeless young people
Etymology
Origin of foyer
1855–60; < French: fireplace, hearth (originally a room to which theater audiences went for warmth between the acts) < Gallo-Latin *focārium, equivalent to Latin foc ( us ) hearth ( cf. focus) + -ārium -arium
Explanation
A foyer is a large entrance, like the foyer of a building that you enter before you reach the elevators. Sometimes a foyer is also called a "lobby." Foyer originally was a term in French that referred to the room where actors waited when they were not on stage. Today, a foyer is a large entrance to a building or home. The bigger and fancier a mansion, office or apartment building is, the bigger and more ornate the foyer will likely be. After all, the foyer will be the first room that visitors see when entering.
Vocabulary lists containing foyer
The Catcher in the Rye
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10 Words that Inspired Taylor Swift
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "F"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Each Sunday afternoon, after a Spanish-language service, lawyers, translators and parishioners gather in the basement foyer to help families navigate the immigration system.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026
Clusters of waiting patrons spilled from the foyer onto the front patio.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
On Tuesday, the duo visited the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne where hundreds had gathered at the foyer to catch a glimpse of the couple.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
Upon entering the property, guests are greeted with an exquisite foyer, which is highlighted by an elegant white staircase.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
I hurried down the three steps, crossed the foyer, and followed her into our room.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
