lobby

noun

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lob·by | \ ˈlä-bē

plural lobbies

Definition of lobby

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a corridor or hall connected with a larger room or series of rooms and used as a passageway or waiting room: such as

a : an anteroom of a legislative chamber especially : one of two anterooms of a British parliamentary chamber to which members go to vote during a division

b : a large hall serving as a foyer (as of a hotel or theater)

2 : a group of persons engaged in lobbying especially as representatives of a particular interest group the gun lobby the oil lobby

lobby

verb

lobbied; lobbying

Definition of lobby (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to conduct activities aimed at influencing public officials and especially members of a legislative body on legislation

transitive verb

1 : to promote (something, such as a project) or secure the passage of (legislation) by influencing public officials lobby a bill through Congress

2 : to attempt to influence or sway (someone, such as a public official) toward a desired action lobbying senators for tax reform

Other Words from lobby Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About lobby

Examples of lobby in a Sentence

Noun I'll meet you in the lobby after the show. The proposed new law is supported by the oil lobby. Verb an organization that has been lobbying for reform of the tax laws The health-care industry has lobbied against the proposal. an organization that has been lobbying Congress for reform of the tax laws a player who has lobbied hard to be included in the team's starting lineup I lobbied our company for a new computer. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The grand centerpiece is the two-story hearth fireplace, which extends from the lobby down to the entertainment spaces on the lower level. — Rachel King, Fortune, 7 May 2022 The group takes shifts helping to take deliveries from the lobby to residents’ doors. — New York Times, 26 Apr. 2022 On Thursday, April 21, a man dressed in a maintenance uniform stole a wad of cash and checks from the lobby of the Metropolitan Republican Club while Manhattan politicos rubbed elbows during a speech McCloskey delivered in another room. — Fox News, 26 Apr. 2022 Elizabeth is walking briskly with the dog now, rushing down the once-impressively grand stairway that leads up from the Theranos lobby. — Kate Aurthur, Variety, 8 Apr. 2022 But Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, and Mark Kelly, also of Arizona, decided, apparently pretty late in the game, to buckle under pressure from the business lobby. — Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 31 Mar. 2022 The White House long assumed enough Republicans would support Califf to easily overcome any Democratic defections, given his strong support from the pharmaceutical lobby. — Arkansas Online, 10 Feb. 2022 Guests can grab prepared meals from the lobby’s commercial kitchen or pantry staples to cook in their unit. — Washington Post, 27 Jan. 2022 Original modern works of art are the centerpiece of the new wing, from the lobby to the guestrooms, a stay here feels more like a visit to a MOMA curator’s private home. — Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb In an all too familiar cycle, a shooting will prompt some to push for more gun control and others to lobby for less firearm regulation. — Paul Leblanc, CNN, 12 Apr. 2022 With state lawmakers declining to further intervene on pandemic evictions, the uncertainty is pushing tenant advocates in Bay Area suburbs to lobby for permanent new renter protections. — Lauren Hepler, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Mar. 2022 According to Canadian officials, Ukrainian officials reached out to her last week to lobby for the central bank sanction, which dealt a major blow to Russia’s financial system. — Vipal Monga, WSJ, 3 Mar. 2022 Still, soccer star Megan Rapinoe expressed hope today that the USWNT has spurred other professional athletes to successfully lobby for equal pay. — Courtney Vinopal, Quartz, 22 Feb. 2022 The outside advocates drew on their personal relationships with insiders to lobby for urgent action. — George Packer, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2022 Tight end Masen Wake took to Twitter to lobby for his teammate’s return. — Alex Vejar, The Salt Lake Tribune, 20 Dec. 2021 Others were created to lobby for ANCSA or were formed later. — Meghan Sullivan, Anchorage Daily News, 20 Dec. 2021 The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, a trade group that worked alongside Mothers Against Drunk Driving to lobby for the mandate, celebrated the new mandate as a victory. — Nicole Goodkind, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lobby.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.