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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the foyer hangs a custom handblown-glass chandelier that weighs 750 pounds and looks like an oddly somber string of balloons. Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 15 Sep. 2025 The entry foyer was impressive, high-ceilinged, with a long, curving stairway leading up to the second floor. Tom Piazza september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025 Step inside and the foyer is a showstopper. Miriam Schwartz, Boston Herald, 12 Sep. 2025 Screenshots from an August 24 Instagram video of Beau the golden retriever waiting in the foyer all day. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for foyer

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foyer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foyer. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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
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