parlor

American  

[pahr-ler] / ˈpɑr lər /

especially British, parlour

noun

parlors plural

1. Older Use. a room for the reception and entertainment of visitors to one's home; living room.

2. a room, apartment, or building serving as a place of business for certain businesses or professions.

   funeral parlor; beauty parlor.

3. a somewhat private room in a hotel, club, or the like for relaxation, conversation, etc.; lounge.

4. Also called locutorium.  a room in a monastery or the like where the inhabitants may converse with visitors or with each other.

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adjective

1. advocating something, as a political view or doctrine, at a safe remove from actual involvement in or commitment to action.

   parlor leftism; parlor pink.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• parlors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of parlor

1175–1225; Middle English parlur < Anglo-French; Old French parleor, equivalent to parl ( er ) to speak ( see parle) + -eor -or ²

Explanation

A parlor is a living room or a sitting room, the place in your house with comfortable chairs and sofas. You might also decide to put your giant new TV in the parlor. The noun parlor is an old-fashioned one. Still, almost anyone would know what you meant if you invited them to join you in the parlor for tea. These days, a hotel, inn, or historic house is more likely to have a parlor than a private home is. The thirteenth century version, parlur, meant "room in a monastery for holding conversations." The "conversations" part stems from parler, "to speak" in French.

Example Sentences

Those with resources and a parlor might have a piano, while those who had less made do with fiddles and banjos.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026

“When customers or analysts start thinking, ‘Gosh, AI is gonna eat software or SaaS,’ it comes from the place of seeing parlor tricks.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

After the trial concluded, the founder of Indivisible Baldwin County, the group that had organized the No Kings protest, rounded up a small crew for a celebratory dinner at the pizza parlor down the block.

From Slate • May 4, 2026

There was a long-running parlor game during his father’s first term about which of the children would run for president after daddy was done.

From Salon • May 3, 2026

One night, his papers and pencils were knocked to the parlor floor by Estelle’s unearthly white gown which grew more solid, more real with each session.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• drawing room
• living room
• lounge
• salon