receptionist
Americannoun
-
a person employed to receive and assist callers, clients, etc., as in an office.
-
Theology. a person who advocates receptionism.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of receptionist
Explanation
If you work as a receptionist in an office, you'll greet visitors and answer the phone. The receptionist in a dentist's office is usually the person to schedule your next appointment. Most offices have a receptionist, a type of secretary who's typically the first person you see when you walk into the room. Hotels often describe this person as a "desk clerk," but this is essentially a receptionist who books reservations and hands you your room key when you check in. The word receptionist dates from about 1900, when the earliest receptionists were hired to work in photography studios.
Vocabulary lists containing receptionist
Seedfolks
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Unit 4, Words to Know
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ist
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I work as a driver and receptionist for a nonprofit, and I’m actually earning more each week than I ever have before.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
When I went back, the receptionist asked what I was there for.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Burnham was born in a suburb of Liverpool, where his father worked as a telephone engineer and his mother a receptionist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
My translator called the corporate secretary listed in its 2024 filings, but the receptionist there was unable to provide contact information for Sunne.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
It occurs to me that I should check the new address the receptionist gave me earlier.
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
There will be smarter cars, bipedal warehouse androids, roving grocery bots removing unscanned items from bagging areas, and torso-up AI designed to look like seated female receptionists.
From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2024
In addition to the faculty unrest, more than 4,000 non-academic student workers in jobs from IT support to receptionists are in the final stages of a union organizing campaign.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2024
Women can, for instance, work as receptionists for female doctors and dentists.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 25, 2023
Such "welfare jobs," as they are known in China, include roles as receptionists, office administrators, security guards and community workers.
From Reuters ● Nov. 14, 2023
He points toward the receptionists desk and chuckles.
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
