parlor

American  

[pahr-ler] / ˈpɑr lər /

especially British, parlour

noun

• parlors
  plural

1. Older Use. a room for the reception and entertainment of visitors to one's home; living room.

2. a room, apartment, or building serving as a place of business for certain businesses or professions.

   funeral parlor; beauty parlor.

3. a somewhat private room in a hotel, club, or the like for relaxation, conversation, etc.; lounge.

4. Also called locutorium.  a room in a monastery or the like where the inhabitants may converse with visitors or with each other.

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adjective

1. advocating something, as a political view or doctrine, at a safe remove from actual involvement in or commitment to action.

   parlor leftism; parlor pink.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• parlors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of parlor

1175–1225; Middle English parlur < Anglo-French; Old French parleor, equivalent to parl ( er ) to speak ( see parle) + -eor -or ²

Explanation

A parlor is a living room or a sitting room, the place in your house with comfortable chairs and sofas. You might also decide to put your giant new TV in the parlor. The noun parlor is an old-fashioned one. Still, almost anyone would know what you meant if you invited them to join you in the parlor for tea. These days, a hotel, inn, or historic house is more likely to have a parlor than a private home is. The thirteenth century version, parlur, meant "room in a monastery for holding conversations." The "conversations" part stems from parler, "to speak" in French.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

parlor parlors

The Arthur House parlor is already open to the public for drinks and dining, and features a pump organ that guests can play.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

“When customers or analysts start thinking, ‘Gosh, AI is gonna eat software or SaaS,’ it comes from the place of seeing parlor tricks.

From Barron's ● May 15, 2026

After the trial concluded, the founder of Indivisible Baldwin County, the group that had organized the No Kings protest, rounded up a small crew for a celebratory dinner at the pizza parlor down the block.

From Slate ● May 4, 2026

There was a long-running parlor game during his father’s first term about which of the children would run for president after daddy was done.

From Salon ● May 3, 2026

The two women settled into the bridal parlor, a luxurious suite of rooms at Webb’s Union Hotel.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Inside, customers huddle over low tables in a puzzle of terracotta-tiled, plant-filled parlors, drinking the same thing: cà phê trứng aka egg coffee.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026

Bonds forged from necessity create a family network that allows its members to survive World War II, only to struggle with excess when their pachinko parlors become highly successful.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2025

The latest show in her Netflix deal, though, portrays it as a blank collection of staircases and parlors not unlike others where all-star ensembles marry screwball comedy with murder.

From Salon ● Mar. 20, 2025

The flu virus could become aerosolized when milking parlors are cleaned with high-pressure hoses.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 25, 2024

“There’ll be plenty of room in the parlors and folks can mingle.”

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

Related Words

• drawing room
• living room
• lounge
• salon