mezzanine

American  

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

noun

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

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

Example Sentences

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

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

From New York Times • Nov. 23, 2024

The results prepare the ground for a boggling encounter upstairs on the museum’s mezzanine — an astonishingly plain installation of three mirrored walls.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 17, 2024

Two other zones will include an overflow room on St Pancras’ mezzanine level.

From BBC • May 27, 2024

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

Related Words

• balcony