balcony
Americannoun
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a balustraded or railed elevated platform projecting from the wall of a building.
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a gallery in a theater.
noun
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a platform projecting from the wall of a building with a balustrade or railing along its outer edge, often with access from a door or window
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a gallery in a theatre or auditorium, above the dress circle
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any circle or gallery in a theatre or auditorium including the dress circle
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of balcony
1610–20; < Italian balcone balcony, floor-length window < Langobardic (compare Old High German balc ( h ) o, accusative singular balcon beam; see balk); sense extended from the beam over an aperture to the aperture itself
Compare meaning
How does balcony compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A balcony is a porch or platform that extends from an upper floor of a building. Your apartment might have a balcony with a view of a city park. Most balconies have railings around them to protect people from tumbling off, and many balconies provide an interesting view. You might linger on the balcony of your hotel room in Hawaii, enjoying the warm air and the distant glimpse of the ocean it gives you. Balcony comes from the Italian balcone, which in turn comes from balcone, or "scaffold." The root is most likely Germanic, possibly related to the Old English balca, "beam or ridge."
Vocabulary lists containing balcony
Words Whose Pronunciation Has Changed Over Time
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Theater - Introductory
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Theater - Middle School
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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.
Dramatic video showed a man clambering from his balcony through a neighbour's window to escape the black smoke.
From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026
The primary bedroom is every bit as elegant thanks to its spacious layout and French doors that open up to the balcony.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 29, 2026
Not far from Hoa's home on a nearby street, resident Duc said he and some neighbours hung a banner from the balcony of his four-storey home.
From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026
London then showed off her mischievous side as she attempted to climb out the window and onto the balcony.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 24, 2026
From the balcony, Madison and his guests also looked down at the nearby slave quarters and outbuildings, worlds apart yet completely locked together.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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.
