doorway
Americannoun
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doorways
plural
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the passage or opening into a building, room, etc., commonly closed and opened by a door; portal.
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a means of access.
a doorway to success.
noun
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an opening into a building, room, etc, esp one that has a door
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a means of access or escape
a doorway to freedom
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of doorway
Explanation
A doorway is the place through which you enter a room. Some doorways have actual doors, while others are merely arched openings into a room or building. If you stand in your doorway watching your neighbor approach on his bike, you've probably got the front door open and you're standing in its space. The doorway to your living room, on the other hand, might be a simple arch or wide entryway. The word dates from about 1799, from door and way, which here means "space" — it's the space in a wall where a door sits.
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:
But with sneakers strewn in the doorway and a cookbook opened to a specific recipe, the faux house felt lived in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
In Cave 103, the two figures sit on opposite sides of the doorway.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
A great song offers pleasure, but a great album – no skips – is a doorway.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
This creates what is known as the doorway effect, which confuses our brains.
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
Betsie stopped in the doorway with a tray of cakes.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
The room was overflowing—people along walls, in doorways.
From Slate ● Apr. 29, 2026
Upstairs, you’ll find the intimate karaoke studios, which are decorated with red velvet walls and brass, curved doorways that echo the building’s deco arches, says Mic Drop’s interior designer, Amy Morris of the Morris Project.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026
“Installing stairlifts, reconfiguring bathrooms, widening doorways and adding entrance ramps may carry a price tag in excess of tens of thousands of dollars.”
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 15, 2026
He can see its merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for architectural details like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in modern homes".
From BBC ● Dec. 19, 2025
The wide front hall was empty except for a few idlers who lounged in the doorways leading to the offices on either side.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
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.
