waiting room

American  

[wey-ting room, room] / ˈweɪ tɪŋ ˌrum, ˌrʊm /

noun

waiting rooms plural

1. a room for the use of persons waiting, as in a railroad station or a physician's office.

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waiting room British  

noun

1. a room in which people may wait, as at a railway station, doctor's or dentist's office, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• waiting rooms
  plural

Etymology

Origin of waiting room

First recorded in 1675–85

Example Sentences

She arrived at the courtroom nearly an hour and a half ahead of her 8:30 a.m. appointment, and watched as the waiting room overflowed with at least a hundred other immigrants.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026

Sitting in the waiting room, mentally preparing for an MRI, Maxine opens a browser and searches, “BREAST CANCER.”

From Salon • Jun. 29, 2026

"Family members must stay in the waiting room," the employee shouted through a megaphone, reminding relatives that they were lucky to be alive.

From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026

"Jasper," a man with severe constipation who passes away in the sweltering waiting room, first appears in the season’s opening episode, and can later be glimpsed shedding layers of clothing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The newspaper, a book, the waiting room pamphlet about the power of prayer.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

• foyer
• reception room
• vestibule