receptionist
Americannoun
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a person employed to receive and assist callers, clients, etc., as in an office.
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Theology. a person who advocates receptionism.
noun
Etymology
Origin of receptionist
Explanation
If you work as a receptionist in an office, you'll greet visitors and answer the phone. The receptionist in a dentist's office is usually the person to schedule your next appointment. Most offices have a receptionist, a type of secretary who's typically the first person you see when you walk into the room. Hotels often describe this person as a "desk clerk," but this is essentially a receptionist who books reservations and hands you your room key when you check in. The word receptionist dates from about 1900, when the earliest receptionists were hired to work in photography studios.
Vocabulary lists containing receptionist
Seedfolks
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Unit 4, Words to Know
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ist
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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.
She is currently working as a receptionist at a spa.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
A hotel receptionist said rooms that were overbooked just a few weeks ago now stood empty.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
The receptionist took me straight to an examination room.
From Slate • Mar. 29, 2026
While Ascentria attorneys have cleared TPS holders to keep working, Balthazar said her son lost his receptionist job.
From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
"That lovely British accent!" the receptionist murmurs, breaking the silence.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
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.
