foyer
Americannoun
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foyers
plural
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the lobby of a theater, hotel, or apartment house.
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a vestibule or entrance hall in a house or apartment.
noun
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a hall, lobby, or anteroom, used for reception and as a meeting place, as in a hotel, theatre, cinema, etc
-
(in Britain) a centre providing accommodation and employment training, etc. for homeless young people
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of foyer
1855–60; < French: fireplace, hearth (originally a room to which theater audiences went for warmth between the acts) < Gallo-Latin *focārium, equivalent to Latin foc ( us ) hearth ( cf. focus) + -ārium -arium
Explanation
A foyer is a large entrance, like the foyer of a building that you enter before you reach the elevators. Sometimes a foyer is also called a "lobby." Foyer originally was a term in French that referred to the room where actors waited when they were not on stage. Today, a foyer is a large entrance to a building or home. The bigger and fancier a mansion, office or apartment building is, the bigger and more ornate the foyer will likely be. After all, the foyer will be the first room that visitors see when entering.
Vocabulary lists containing foyer
The Catcher in the Rye
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10 Words that Inspired Taylor Swift
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "F"
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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.
See Examples For:
A bag of golf clubs stood in the foyer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
The 300-year-old building was converted into an 82-seat theatre, with surrounding corridors used to create a foyer and backstage area.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
Upon entering the home, guests are greeted with a stunning two-story foyer punctuated by a floating staircase.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 2026
The Palm Room foyer was decked in marble and chandeliers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
In the bright light of the foyer, Mrs. Adler’s eyes fasten on Boo.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
Plans to revamp creative and performance spaces, as well as restore the brutalist foyers, Lakeside Terrace and Conservatory, have been given approval by the City of London Corporation which is funding 80% of the work.
From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2025
People are going to cinemas now, and at the end people stand up and applaud and talk about the movie in the foyers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2024
That increased functionality starts right at the front door: The pandemic led to a resurgence in the popularity of foyers and vestibules at the main entryway.
From Seattle Times ● May 3, 2022
“Gray medium-green tones conjure up subdued soothing vibrations,” Guerin says, which are perfect for bathrooms, foyers or bedrooms.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 12, 2020
These buildings have elevators in them, and wide foyers with plants, and are called things like The Monte Carlo.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
