balcony
Americannoun
plural
balconies-
a balustraded or railed elevated platform projecting from the wall of a building.
-
a gallery in a theater.
noun
-
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
-
a gallery in a theatre or auditorium, above the dress circle
-
any circle or gallery in a theatre or auditorium including the dress circle
Other Word Forms
- balconied adjective
- unbalconied adjective
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.
At 2:23 a.m. on Nov. 29, 2019, a surveillance camera at MI6’s London headquarters recorded movement on the fifth-floor balcony of a luxury development on the other side of the Thames.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
A flag draped on a balcony overlooking the rally read "Tisza is surging", a slogan of Magyar's party, referring to the river Tisza, the same as the party's acronym.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
What a vivid memory I have of the time I spent with 1935 Masters champion Gene Sarazen on the balcony of the clubhouse at Augusta National in 1994.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
Among its more impressive features are an extraordinary great room with a 30-foot ceiling, as well as an expansive primary suite that boasts a sitting room, balcony, enormous walk-in closet, and two bathrooms.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
“I am so sorry, sir,” said Dr. Zinchenko, still bracing herself against the banister on the second-floor balcony.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
