mezzanine

American  

[mez-uh-neen, mez-uh-neen] / ˈmɛz əˌnin, ˌmɛz əˈnin /

noun

mezzanines plural

1. the lowest balcony or forward part of such a balcony in a theater.

2. a low story between two other stories of greater height in a building, especially when the low story and the one beneath it form part of one composition; an entresol.

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mezzanine British  

/ ˈmɛtsəˌniːn, ˈmɛzəˌniːn /

noun

1. Also called: mezzanine floor.   entresol.  an intermediate storey, esp a low one between the ground and first floor of a building

2. theatre the first balcony

3. theatre a room or floor beneath the stage

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adjective

1. Often shortened to: mezz.  of or relating to an intermediate stage in a financial process

   mezzanine funding

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mezzanines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mezzanine

1705–15; < French < Italian mezzanino, equivalent to mezzan ( o ) middle (< Latin mediānus median ) + -ino diminutive suffix

Compare meaning

How does mezzanine compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• mezzanine vs. balcony

Explanation

If a sign in your hotel says, "Espresso bar is located on the mezzanine," it means that you can get your daily latte fix on the floor of your hotel that's one story above the ground floor. One meaning of mezzanine is "second floor," although usually the mezzanine level of a building is a partial floor, located between the ground floor and first floor. Another meaning of mezzanine is the lowest of a row of balconies in a theater or symphony hall. You might buy mezzanine tickets to a concert so that you have a good view of the stage. The Latin root of mezzanine is the word medianus, "of the middle."

Example Sentences

Flags will be draped from the mezzanine balconies with DJs on the decks.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

It included a mezzanine floor for VIPs that resembled an open-air symphony hall, and an even bigger LED screenscape to create a Vegas-like club experience.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

“It’s like saying, ‘I’m going to go to Dodger Stadium, grab someone from the third row of the mezzanine section, and they can play the violin at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.’

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2025

I’ll sit in the mezzanine, I’ll sit in the balcony.

From New York Times • Nov. 23, 2024

You mean I could walk up the grand stairway at Pizitz department store and order a hot dog, French fries, and a Coke in the mezzanine cafe?

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

Related Words

• balcony