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

United Way of Greater Los Angeles, which was raising capital for affordable housing, filled the gap with a $4.5-million second, or mezzanine, loan.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 23, 2024

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

From BBC • May 27, 2024

At the bottom of his conviction lay his memory of his dinner with Wing Chau—when he grasped the central role of the mezzanine CDO and made a massive bet against those very same CDOs.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• balcony