public room

American  

noun

1. a lounge or other room that is open to all, especially in a hotel or on a ship.

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Etymology

Origin of public room

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Migliorati kept the painting in the private quarters of his palace or possibly in a public room to be admired by guests.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

Two readings were held in the library’s public room to accommodate the crowd.

From Washington Times • Jun. 11, 2023

In a double height public room on the first floor, a terrazzo staircase leading to a mezzanine features a delicate carve-out in each riser so as to better accommodate the foot.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 28, 2022

A professor of magic was bragging pretty largely of his sleight-of-hand feats in the public room of a hotel.

From Slate • Apr. 29, 2018

Two congressmen and future presidents, James Madison and James Monroe, would arrive after him and be compelled to sleep on wooden benches in the tavern’s public room!

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy