porch

American  

[pawrch, pohrch] / pɔrtʃ, poʊrtʃ /

noun

1. an exterior appendage to a building, forming a covered approach or vestibule to a doorway.

2. a veranda.

3. the Porch, the portico or stoa in the agora of ancient Athens, where the Stoic philosopher Zeno of Citium and his followers met.

4. Obsolete. a portico.

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porch British  

/ pɔːtʃ /

noun

1. a low structure projecting from the doorway of a house and forming a covered entrance

2. an exterior roofed gallery, often partly enclosed; veranda

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Other Word Forms

• porchless adjective
• porchlike adjective
• underporch noun

Etymology

Origin of porch

1250–1300; Middle English porche < Old French < Latin porticus porch, portico

Example Sentences

Set against the distant Blue Ridge Mountains, it depicts a favorite Southern activity—akin to her widely admired maple-sugaring paintings set up north—embellished with details like the tiny rocking horse on her front porch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

The kitchen is complemented by a breakfast alcove that is nestled into a windowed nook overlooking the back porch and the swimming pool.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

After Heuermann was jailed, his wife and two children stayed in the house, even grilling on the front porch despite gawkers on the front lawn.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Today, the once-overlooked porch is a favorite family space, Molly says, where the couple’s three children play dominoes and cards with sports on in the background.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026

Embarrassingly, Jonah heard one of his attempts, because Jonah had just stepped onto the Winstons’ front porch, ready to ring the doorbell and ask Chip over to play basketball.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• balcony
• deck
• portico
• stoop
• veranda