plural lanais
: a roofed porch : veranda
… a covered porch is called a "lanai" in Hawaii …—
Sanette Tanaka
Sanette Tanaka… Honolulu landscape architect James C. Hubbard used four L-shaped extensions to broaden an entry lanai.—Sunset
Sunset… my feelings are just as ambivalent and I sit on the front lanai of my rented bungalow in Palm Springs, California …—Douglas Coupland
Douglas CouplandExamples of lanai in a Sentence
a low-slung Hawaiian beach house with an open-sided lanai to catch the tropical breezes
Recent Examples on the Web
The chance to pose in Blanche’s Boudoir (decorated with a shag carpet and a palm-print bedspread), chat on the ladies’ famed yellow kitchen phone and play shuffleboard on the lanai are all among the highlights.
—Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 15 Oct. 2025
The roughly 2,700-square-foot main house sits amid more than 4,000 macadamia trees, along with avocado, finger lime, apple banana, and tangerine groves, offering sweeping ocean and landscape views from a broad lanai.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 6 Oct. 2025
The resulting footprint is T-shaped, creating numerous pockets of outdoor space just begging to be built out with cushy outdoor seating, raised garden beds, an al fresco dining room, or your very own lanai.
—Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Aug. 2025
Grab a slice of cheesecake and head to your nearest lanai — here's what to know about the milestone anniversary.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lanai
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Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 15 Oct. 2025
The roughly 2,700-square-foot main house sits amid more than 4,000 macadamia trees, along with avocado, finger lime, apple banana, and tangerine groves, offering sweeping ocean and landscape views from a broad lanai.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 6 Oct. 2025
The resulting footprint is T-shaped, creating numerous pockets of outdoor space just begging to be built out with cushy outdoor seating, raised garden beds, an al fresco dining room, or your very own lanai.
—Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Aug. 2025
Grab a slice of cheesecake and head to your nearest lanai — here's what to know about the milestone anniversary.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lanai
Cite this Entry
“Lanai.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lanai. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationGeographical Definition
Lanai
geographical name
La·nai
lə-ˈnī 
lä-
variants
or Lana'i
island of Hawaii west of Maui and south of Molokai area 141 square miles (367 square kilometers)
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