receptionist
Americannoun
-
receptionists
plural
-
a person employed to receive and assist callers, clients, etc., as in an office.
-
Theology. a person who advocates receptionism.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Unit 4, Words to Know
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ist
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Her breakthrough role came in 2001 when she was cast as Dawn, the sympathetic and witty receptionist in Gervais and Stephen Merchant's Bafta-winning office-based sitcom.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The actress, best known for playing receptionist Dawn Tinsley in BBC sitcom The Office, has received an outpouring of support since she revealed her diagnosis on Tuesday.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Ines works as a receptionist at a local hotel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Ben Wang, as an eager young receptionist at a talent agency who steals information to help Gail, doesn’t really nail the part.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
The receptionist knew what I meant, and she laughed.
From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg
She posed as a courier, telling the receptionists that the script was requested by an executive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2025
Managers often ask other workers, like receptionists, what they thought of the candidates, she says.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2025
There will be smarter cars, bipedal warehouse androids, roving grocery bots removing unscanned items from bagging areas, and torso-up AI designed to look like seated female receptionists.
From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2024
Such "welfare jobs," as they are known in China, include roles as receptionists, office administrators, security guards and community workers.
From Reuters ● Nov. 14, 2023
He remembered that he had to change shoes and retreated to a comer of the lobby, out of sight of receptionists and guards, to sit on the floor and pull on Eric’s brown Oxfords.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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.
