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
lobbied; lobbying
: to conduct activities aimed at influencing public officials and especially members of a legislative body on legislation
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
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
Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2025
Royal Scotsman staffers meet guests in the lobby on the morning of departure, ferrying their luggage to the train and going over initial scheduling and logistics.
—Jake Emen, Robb Report, 18 Dec. 2025
Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 17 Dec. 2025
Among Covucci’s many discoveries were documents showing how athletic conferences lobby the College Football Playoff selection committee; how UCLA engineered a tax-deductibility workaround for football donors; and how the Department of Homeland Security surveils crowds at college football games.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lobby
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
This gains further significance as more major Indian state elections are due next year, such as in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, which have strong farming lobbies, followed by Uttar Pradesh in 2027 — the country’s largest agricultural state.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2025
Royal Scotsman staffers meet guests in the lobby on the morning of departure, ferrying their luggage to the train and going over initial scheduling and logistics.
—Jake Emen, Robb Report, 18 Dec. 2025
Verb
Bessent continued to lobby on behalf of the tariffs as a tool to promote America’s national security.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 17 Dec. 2025
Among Covucci’s many discoveries were documents showing how athletic conferences lobby the College Football Playoff selection committee; how UCLA engineered a tax-deductibility workaround for football donors; and how the Department of Homeland Security surveils crowds at college football games.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lobby
Cite this Entry
“Lobby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lobby. Accessed 19 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lobby
1 of 2 noun
lob·by
ˈläb-ē 
plural lobbies
1
: a hall or entry especially when large enough to serve as a waiting room
a hotel lobby
2
: a group of persons engaged in lobbying
the oil lobby
lobby
2 of 2 verb
lobbied; lobbying
: to try to influence public officials and especially members of a legislative body
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