foyer

noun

foy·​er ˈfȯi(-ə)r How to pronounce foyer (audio) ˈfȯi-ˌ(y)ā How to pronounce foyer (audio)
 also  ˈfwä-ˌyā
: an anteroom or lobby especially of a theater
also : an entrance hallway : vestibule

Examples of foyer in a Sentence

theatergoers crowded the foyer during the play's intermission leave your muddy boots in the foyer and come into the house
Recent Examples on the Web The glass front door opened onto an empty foyer that glowed red; past that was another door, outfitted with a speakeasy-style window the size of a mail slot, for a bouncer to peer through. Hannah Goldfield, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 Kids run around, launching themselves onto big couches in the entry foyer that doubles up as the common room. Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 Bouley was a very beautiful restaurant, softly lighted with votive candles and smelling of ripe apples piled in baskets in the foyer. John Mariani, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 Entry is via a casement door that swings open into a dramatic double-height entry foyer. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 13 Feb. 2024 Through the foyer is the living room, adorned with custom moldings and a Marcin Rusak Studio’s kaleidoscopic Flora Table, with flowers set in resin. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2024 The fire started in the foyer before traveling up the staircase and destroying the home, an initial fire investigation found. Michelle Cruz, The Arizona Republic, 28 Feb. 2024 An accordion rests in the foyer of the 1926 bungalow. Joe Sills, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 But when Bree comes downstairs their final morning, Ty is nowhere to be found and there’s a stranger dead in the foyer—the missing woman the entire Internet has become obsessed with: Janelle Beckett. Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 7 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foyer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, fireplace, from Vulgar Latin *focarium, from Latin focus hearth

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of foyer was in 1833

Dictionary Entries Near foyer

Cite this Entry

“Foyer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foyer. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

foyer

noun
1
: a lobby especially in a theater
2
: an entrance hallway : vestibule

More from Merriam-Webster on foyer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!