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.

---

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

---

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

See Examples For:

mezzanine mezzanines

Visitors will enter via a mezzanine which means they will be able to see the entire length of the work in one go from afar.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 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

If you don’t mind being indoors, my colleague Deborah Vankin suggests Far Bar in Little Tokyo, where she celebrated her birthday on the mezzanine with about 50 friends.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2025

“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 doubt any partnership would have sought to game the rating agencies, or leapt into bed with loan sharks, or even allowed mezzanine CDOs to be sold to its customers.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Staff will be on the mezzanines to explain changes and help people pay.

From Seattle Times ● May 28, 2024

The screens, which will show train arrival times, are being installed on six mezzanines and 11 platforms at the stations.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 28, 2023

The transit agency has announced plans for new pop-up shops and high-tech vending machines, and has tried to lure developers with offers to overhaul entire mezzanines in major stations.

From New York Times ● Nov. 3, 2020

The stations, in caverns deep below the surface, are vast and airy, with spacious mezzanines and high ceilings.

From The New Yorker ● Feb. 5, 2017

The Gestapo use the ground floor and two mezzanines for their own accommodation and offices, and it is all kept in beautiful condition.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• balcony