antechamber

noun

an·​te·​cham·​ber ˈan-ti-ˌchām-bər 

: anteroom

Did you know?

One expects to find an antechamber outside the private chambers of a Supreme Court Justice or leading into the great hall of a medieval castle. In the private end of the castle the lord's or lady's bedchamber would have its own antechamber, which served as a dressing room and sitting room, but could also house bodyguards if the castle came under siege. Anteroom is a less formal synonym, one that's often applied to the waiting rooms of professional offices today.

Examples of antechamber in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The locker rooms and antechambers behind the scenes are drab and plain. —Richard Lawson, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025

The cardinals present will then pledge to the new pope, and he will be dressed in the Room of Tears, a small antechamber within the Sistine Chapel. —Paolo Armelli, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2025

Those who did not fit inside the council chambers watched the meeting livestream in the antechamber. —Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024

But for the sake of social history, Miss Manners will try: Boudoir: a bedroom, or antechamber to one, where a lady receives her intimates. —Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French antichambre, from Middle French, from Italian anti- (from Latin ante-) + Middle French chambre room

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for antechamber

• bedchamber
• chamber

Kids Definition

antechamber

noun

an·​te·​cham·​ber ˈant-i-ˌchām-bər 

: anteroom