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
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.
The last major exterior alterations to the White House building were the East Wing expansion in 1942 and the Truman Balcony in 1948.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 26, 2025
Where to eat: In between the two hotels you can find New American fare at the Beeside Balcony del Mar and slices and wings at Del Mar Pizza.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2024
The sign itself, a campaign poster for a local politician, had yet to be hung, which led to jokes: The Sign on Sidney Brustein’s Balcony, The Sign on Sidney Brustein’s Fire Escape.
From New York Times • Feb. 1, 2023
If the clouds are hanging low in valleys, one interesting option could be a hike up to Dirty Harry’s Balcony off Interstate 90 at exit 38.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 25, 2022
When Ang Dorje and I first arrived on the Balcony at 5:30 a.m., we were more than an hour in front of the rest of Hall’s group.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
