doorway
Americannoun
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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.
“The servers are dropping plates or taking checks, or you’re at the Comedy Cellar following Chris Rock or Dave Chappelle is standing in the doorway waiting.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2026
The 28 May fire tore through the upper floor of a dormitory containing 135 bunk beds and housing 202 students, forcing them to flee through a single doorway after the emergency exit failed to open.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026
A great song offers pleasure, but a great album – no skips – is a doorway.
From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026
A young woman I photographed in her nail salon had matched herself entirely to the space, and the pride and beauty she took in it was visible just standing in the doorway.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
Instead he stood awkwardly in the doorway, looking obviously uncomfortable to be surrounded by the personal effects and intimate possessions of women.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
