lobby

noun

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

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Other Words from lobby

Verb

lobbyer noun

lobbyism \ ˈlä-bē-ˌi-zəm

\ noun

lobbyist \ ˈlä-bē-ist

\ noun

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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

While at the hospital for inpatient for treatment of neuroendocrine cancer, the 45-year-old lawyer from Wheaton twice, including Tuesday, has made his way down to a lobby at the east end of the building to play the piano. — Chuck Fieldman, chicagotribune.com, "Terminally ill cancer patient makes music at Elmhurst Hospital to feel at peace," 5 June 2019 Burning fuel traveling down the elevator shafts would have disrupted the elevator systems and caused extensive damage to the lobbies. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "Debunking the 9/11 Myths: Special Report - The World Trade Center," 10 Sep. 2018 Germany’s biggest lenders will see efforts to build their financial strength set back by two years if the European Union adopts new international standards for measuring risk, according to a banking lobby. — Nicholas Comfort, Bloomberg.com, "German Banks See 2 Years of Capital Progress Wiped Out by Basel," 23 May 2018 Among the amenities are a 24-hour market in the lobby selling white noise machines and snacks; self-service check-in kiosks; digital interfaces in rooms for making requests; and use of the meditation app Headspace. — Vanessa Lawrence, ELLE Decor, "Atelier Ace's New New York City Hotel Wants to Help You Clear Your Head," 14 May 2019 After a polite ‘show is about to start’ lightbulb blink in the lobby, guests rushed to take their seats to relive Nureyev’s story. — Lauren Sanchez, Vogue, "Anna Wintour, Patti Smith, and Sarah Jessica Parker Attend a Screening for Ralph Fiennes’s White Crow," 24 Apr. 2019 English toy spaniels, Devine, 3, Lionus, 6 months, and Jasper, 7, wait in the lobby. — Alexander Cohn, WSJ, "During Westminster Dog Show, Hotel Pennsylvania Goes to the Dogs," 11 Feb. 2019 Hadley famously oversaw a renovation of the Neighborhood House's lobby in the 1970s and led a group in painting wastebaskets to sell at the House's annual Christmas bazaar. — Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, "See How 32 Designers Transform a Dining Room in Just a Few Hours," 3 May 2019 The developers commissioned a book on his life and an exhibit of his work in the building’s lobby. — Josh Barbanel, WSJ, "Developers Dust Off the Cobwebs—Again—From Architect’s Faded Legacy," 18 Apr. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Uber has spent nearly $325,000 lobbying in Harrisburg in 2018, down slightly from $338,000 in 2017, according to state records. — Juliana Feliciano Reyes, https://www.inquirer.com, "Could Pa. legislate ride-share drivers’ rights? Politicians are hosting a hearing," 6 June 2019 Johnson’s case had been championed by reality TV star Kim Kardashian West, who personally lobbied Trump in the Oval Office. — Darlene Superville, The Seattle Times, "Trump guests include freed drug offender, bullied student," 5 Feb. 2019 While some fans quickly lobbied for or against Pattinson’s presence in the superhero universe, most reacted with a degree of surprise. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "Can Robert Pattinson (or Nicholas Hoult) Save Batman?," 17 May 2019 For years, Lockheed has been lobbying India for a fighter contract in excess of 100 jets. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Why There's a “New” American Fighter Called the F-21," 20 Feb. 2019 That’s right, amid a potential blood battle Piper goes around the prison lobbying for enough signatures to present a solid case to the guards for a recreational activity. — Candice Frederick, Teen Vogue, ""Orange is the New Black" Season 6 Has the Women Striving for Peace and Community More Than Ever," 27 July 2018 Durant lost control of the ball and Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn — standing just a couple feet from referee Jason Goldenberg — was among those immediately lobbying for a violation to be called. — Tim Reynolds, The Seattle Times, "NBA says key call was missed late in Heat-Warriors game," 11 Feb. 2019 Once higher pay and spending are in place, the union will then lean on the politicians to lobby for another tax increase via referendum in 2020. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Unions in La-La Land," 14 Jan. 2019 The case has highlighted Trump's willingness to lobby for specific outcomes of federal criminal investigations and to suggest a coverup by his own Department of Justice. — Shawn Boburg And Spencer S. Hsu, chicagotribune.com, "Ex-congressional IT staffer reaches plea deal that debunks conspiracy theories promoted by Trump, conservative media," 3 July 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.