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:
Seconds later, a loud buzzing filled the room as two drones flew in through an open doorway and circled a human-shaped dummy, noisily distracting the “attacker” until an actual policeman ran in.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Behind a nearby doorway, another side of Bradford was pulsing to a very different rhythm.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Many have an emotional interest in building a life around the home itself, measuring their kids’ height on the doorway, watching their kids grow up in the house and then growing old in it.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
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
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
The family scrambled beneath a doorframe, a time-worn strategy based on the belief, often mistaken, that doorways offer protection.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
The room was overflowing—people along walls, in doorways.
From Slate ● Apr. 29, 2026
A large share may skip senior living and stay at home, adding elevators and widening doorways.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026
Arched doorways, exposed wood beams, and intricate ironwork speak to the craftsmanship of the era, while expansive windows and doors frame views of the surrounding desert and the San Jacinto Mountains.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 5, 2026
As he walked along the ship’s corridor past doorways that led into rooms filled with pretty objects, including porcelain plates and decorative silverware, Duane was reminded of Handsome’s afternoon tea in three days’ time.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
