lobby

American  

[lob-ee] / ˈlɒb i /

noun

• lobbies
  plural

1. an entrance hall, corridor, or vestibule, as in a public building, often serving as an anteroom; foyer.

2. a large public room or hall adjacent to a legislative chamber.

3. a group of persons who work or conduct a campaign to influence members of a legislature to vote according to the group's special interest.

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verb (used without object)

• lobbies,
  present (3rd person singular)
• lobbied,
  past participle,  past
• lobbying
  present participle

1. to solicit or try to influence the votes of members of a legislative body.

verb (used with object)

• lobbies,
  present (3rd person singular)
• lobbied,
  past participle,  past
• lobbying
  present participle

1. to try to influence the actions of (public officials, especially legislators).

2. to urge or procure the passage of (a bill), by lobbying.

lobby British  

/ ˈlɒbɪ /

noun

1. a room or corridor used as an entrance hall, vestibule, etc

2. a hall in a legislative building used for meetings between the legislators and members of the public

3. Also called: division lobby. one of two corridors in a legislative building in which members vote

4. a group of persons who attempt to influence legislators on behalf of a particular interest

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verb

1. to attempt to influence (legislators, etc) in the formulation of policy

2. (intr) to act in the manner of a lobbyist

3. (tr) to apply pressure or influence for the passage of (a bill, etc)

lobby Cultural  

1. A group whose members share certain goals and work to bring about the passage, modification, or defeat of laws that affect these goals. Lobbies (also called interest groups or pressure groups) can be long-standing (such as minority groups struggling to have their civil rights guaranteed) or ad hoc (such as a community threatened by proposed construction of a nuclear power plant). Lobbies may use grassroots methods, such as local rallies and campaigns, to build support for their cause and often employ professional lobbyists, who testify before congressional committees and approach policymakers in all government branches. Powerful lobbies, such as the AFL-CIO and the American Legion, with millions of members, have succeeded in establishing influence in Washington, D.C.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• lobbyer
  noun
• unlobbied
  adjective
• unlobbying
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• lobbies
  plural

Participles

• lobbying
  present
• lobbied
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• lobby
  simple
• lobbies
  simple
• have lobbied
  perfect
• has lobbied
  perfect
• am lobbying
  progressive
• are lobbying
  progressive
• is lobbying
  progressive
• have been lobbying
  perfect progressive
• has been lobbying
  perfect progressive

Past

• lobbied
  simple
• had lobbied
  perfect
• was lobbying
  progressive
• were lobbying
  progressive
• had been lobbying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will lobby
  simple
• will have lobbied
  perfect
• will be lobbying
  progressive
• will have been lobbying
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of lobby

1545–55; < Medieval Latin lobia, laubia covered way < Old High German *laubia (later lauba ) arbor, derivative of laub leaf

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Explanation

A lobby is a large waiting room or reception area. If you're waiting for an appointment in a lobby, maybe you'll get lucky and find a good magazine or even a peppermint candy. You'll find a lot of people hanging around in a lobby — which is basically what it’s there for. A lobby is where you meet your friend at the hotel or catch the elevator for your interview. The idea of the "political lobby group" came from the large entrance halls of the legislature, where people hung around trying to influence the lawmakers. So the next time your class tries to lobby your teacher for extra credit, he can thank the halls of Congress.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lobby lobbies lobbied lobbying

We meet Mona in media res, nervously tapping her shoes on the carpeted lobby floor and fretting over her audition.

From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026

Rivera separately faces a federal case in Washington involving allegations that he received more than $5.5 million to lobby on behalf of a Venezuelan businessman targeted by US sanctions.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

Part of what derailed the bill was a dispute between the banking lobby and crypto companies over whether crypto platforms can offer interest-like rewards to stablecoin holders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

Its body will coil around the museum’s gallery, lobby and atrium, and poke through the walls.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

She crossed the carpeted lobby, her head swimming, and pushed her way inside.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

The group, which lobbies for more opportunities for Belfast artists, is now challenging the government’s position on liquor licensing in court.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

The National Association of Broadcasters, which lobbies on behalf of networks including Fox, questioned that figure, saying, “it does not describe what a typical fan can watch on local channels in their own market.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

“Unlike apartment life, townhouses offer the freedom of full independence: no shared walls, no coop boards or common lobbies, no neighbors above or below,” it reads.

From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026

Ballroom architect Shalom Baranes said the building would span 22,000 sq ft and include two entry lobbies, a commercial kitchen, an office for the first lady and a movie theatre.

From BBC ● Mar. 5, 2026

Every hotel had filled to capacity, even beyond capacity, with some managers finding themselves compelled to install cots in lobbies and halls.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Sources also say they lobbied the Premier League to allow the forward to use "JJ Gabriel" on the back of his shirt - which they believe underlined their commitment to the academy prospect.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

His brother Gurpreet Singh Johal - who has lobbied successive governments calling for his release - said the decision to grant bail had been a "really important milestone".

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

To work with Collins, Navatek hired a lobbyist, Glen Mandigo, who also lobbied for the University of Maine and was tight with her office.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

Another recalled a parent who successfully lobbied to ban cupcakes from classroom birthday celebrations—only to protest when she was later barred from sending cupcakes for her own child’s birthday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

Meeting him at the airport, Molly judged him “as near exhaustion as I had ever seen him” and lobbied him again to withdraw from the Geneva conference.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Fannie’s new forecast largely mirrored a separate prediction published earlier this week by the Mortgage Bankers Association, an industry lobbying group.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

The group, he said, has now set its sights on lobbying the government to invest in research and improve care.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

One clue comes from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a lobbying arm of major auto manufacturers and equipment makers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

The industries on both sides have spent tens of millions lobbying the bill since its introduction several years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

He began lobbying officials there to include the various second-line antibiotics on their list of “essential drugs”—a list that the ministries followed and allocated money for in their budgets.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

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Related Words

• campaign for
• persuade
• politick
• press
• promote
• push
• request
• solicit
• sway
• urge

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