Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

front door

American  

noun

  1. the main entrance to a house or other building, usually facing a street.

  2. Informal. anything offering the best, most direct, or most straightforward approach to a place, situation, objective, etc.


front door British  

noun

  1. the main entrance to a house

  2. an open legitimate means of obtaining a job, position, etc

    to get in by the front door

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of front door

First recorded in 1740–50

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 court heard Price went back inside the pub before leaving through the front door and going into his van.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

Community health workers, doulas, peer specialists and others can serve as a front door to these programs.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

When you first walk in the front door, you’ll see ’Naynay’s Drag-In Dine-In Theater centered around a custom-made shiny red-and-white vinyl booth.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

Then, late last year, his architect told him the county wanted her to move his front door because it faced the wrong side of his corner lot.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

As Two had advised, he avoided the front door and followed the winding porch around back.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman