doorway
Americannoun
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the passage or opening into a building, room, etc., commonly closed and opened by a door; portal.
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a means of access.
a doorway to success.
noun
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an opening into a building, room, etc, esp one that has a door
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a means of access or escape
a doorway to freedom
Etymology
Origin of doorway
Explanation
A doorway is the place through which you enter a room. Some doorways have actual doors, while others are merely arched openings into a room or building. If you stand in your doorway watching your neighbor approach on his bike, you've probably got the front door open and you're standing in its space. The doorway to your living room, on the other hand, might be a simple arch or wide entryway. The word dates from about 1799, from door and way, which here means "space" — it's the space in a wall where a door sits.
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.
A great song offers pleasure, but a great album – no skips – is a doorway.
From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026
This creates what is known as the doorway effect, which confuses our brains.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
She uses a shared toilet and shower, and has taped a foam board across the bottom of her doorway to keep out rats and cockroaches.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
Jazz music drifts into the night from an open doorway guarded by a resolute figure in a black suit.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
Immovable, except for his gaze and his fingers stroking his gun, the man didn’t care that he was blocking the saloon’s doorway.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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.
