lobby

noun lob·by \ ˈlä-bē \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

plural lobbies

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

See lobby defined for English-language learners

See lobby defined for kids

Examples of lobby in a Sentence

I'll meet you in the lobby after the show.
The proposed new law is supported by the oil lobby.

Recent Examples of lobby from the Web

There are also new images of the Great Hall, a public lobby that would run between Devonshire and Federal streets.

— BostonGlobe.com, "The week in business," 14 Apr. 2018
The renovation, which started in the summer of 2016, includes all the hotel's rooms and residential suites, as well as the pool area, meeting spaces and what the W calls the Living Room, its version of a hotel lobby/lounge.

— Sun-Sentinel.com, "CRIME," 12 Apr. 2018
Shows will be at 7:30 p.m. April 18-19 in the venue’s piano-bar lobby.

— matthew j. palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, "'Nunsense' carries on preaching its insipid fun," 12 Apr. 2018
Four of the cars were hung in the Rock Hall's atrium lobby when the museum opened in 1995.

— cleveland.com, "16 things you might not know about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame," 12 Apr. 2018
Ravetz said apartments in Trumbull on the Park will receive upgrades as well as public spaces such as the lobby.

— kenneth r. gosselin, courant.com, "Trumbull On The Park Apartment Complex Sells For Nearly $28 Million," 12 Apr. 2018
The National Rifle Association received donations from about two dozen individuals with Russian addresses, an attorney for the firearms lobby said in a letter dated April 10.

— Bloomberg.com, "The NRA Received Donations From Russian Nationals," 11 Apr. 2018
Since the last year has been filled with many trips to hospitals for Lincoln’s treatment, Tanner began to notice many facilities had pianos in their lobbies.

— jason duaine hahn, PEOPLE.com, "Piano-Playing Mom Sings Sweet Song to 1-Year-Old Son with Rare Terminal Illness," 11 Apr. 2018
The students took over the lobby on the first floor of Mrak Hall on Jan. 24, ahead of a UC Board of Regents meeting on tuition, said Zachary Markham, a second-year biology student and protester.

— diana lambert, sacbee, "UC Davis allowed takeover for weeks in 2016. Students now face discipline after 3 days | The Sacramento Bee," 11 Apr. 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of lobby

Medieval Latin lobium gallery, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German louba porch

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First Known Use: 1593

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

lobby Synonyms

Synonyms

entranceway, entry, entryway, foyer, hall, hallway, vestibule;

door, doorway, entrance, portal, threshold;

Other Architecture Terms

buttress, casita, cornice, fanlight, garret, lintel, parapet, pilaster, plinth

lobby

verb

lobbied; lobbying

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

—

lobbyer

noun

—

lobbyism

play \ˈlä-bē-ˌi-zəm\ noun

—

lobbyist

play \ˈlä-bē-ist\ noun

See lobby defined for English-language learners

Examples of lobby in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of lobby from the Web

Often, MPAs are lobbied for and funded by recreational divers, whose tourism dollars provide communities incentive to conserve reefs.

— ben goldfarb, Smithsonian, "Illuminating the Ocean’s Teeming Twilight Zone, Before It Disappears," 14 Apr. 2018
Since then she's lobbied for Oregon universities and worked on the Oregon Business Plan.

— the oregonian/oregonlive, OregonLive.com, "Business lobby's interim CEO says it needs to 'get cracking' after predecessor's firing," 14 Apr. 2018
Universal Orlando lobbied in 2015 to derail plans for Skyplex’s 500-foot-tall roller coaster.

— paul brinkmann, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Universal hits pause button on stormwater lawsuit against Orange County," 13 Apr. 2018
Harris and her team lobbied Edwards to change the 10-year rule and consider a reprieve for Noble.

— the marshall project, NOLA.com, "7 years behind bars for 2 joints -- and now he's free," 12 Apr. 2018
The governor is still lobbying for adoption of the POMV system this year, while also pushing for his public safety legislation, which has mostly stalled in committees.

— nathaniel herz, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska’s legislative session is almost over and every big problem remains unsolved. Here’s what happens next.," 12 Apr. 2018
Residents and activists lobbied the state for permission to install speed cameras along MD 210, one of the state’s deadliest highways.

— luz lazo, Washington Post, "Deadly Maryland highway closer to getting a speed camera," 10 Apr. 2018
Mayor Sylvester Turner and county leaders lobbied aggressively to control how disaster relief money is spent in the region.

— kevin diaz, Houston Chronicle, "Houston, Harris County get another $2 billion in Harvey recovery funds," 10 Apr. 2018
To continue reading this story, TRY IT NOW Mayor Sylvester Turner and county leaders lobbied aggressively to control how disaster relief money is spent in the region.

— rebecca elliott, San Antonio Express-News, "HUD sending another $5B to Texas for Harvey recovery," 10 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of lobby

1820

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

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LOBBY Defined for English Language Learners

lobby

noun

: a large open area inside and near the entrance of a public building (such as a hotel or theater)
: an organized group of people who work together to influence government decisions that relate to a particular industry, issue, etc.

lobby

verb

: to try to influence government officials to make decisions for or against something
: to try to get something you want by talking to the people who make decisions