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.
Guards could be seen blocking the doorway to one building on Monday afternoon.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
This morning, I hovered in the doorway while my wife, who works from home a few days a week, laughed on a call.
From Slate • Apr. 12, 2026
Short-term volatility offers a doorway for confident investors.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
As I left the museum, I walked straight into a glass wall that I thought was a doorway.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
At the doorway, I held out one of the coins the way I had held out the shawl, covering it so only the baker could see what I was holding.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
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.
