lobby

1 of 2

noun

lob·​by ˈlä-bē How to pronounce lobby (audio)
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

lobby

2 of 2

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 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
The night began an hour prior with a cocktail reception in the lobby. Leigh Nordstrom, WWD, 24 Sep. 2024 Other changes were more cosmetic in design to differentiate the ships like changing the seat fabric in the lobby from leather to suede and using a different color palette. Ramsey Qubein, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024
Verb
Brazil did lobby against adding any overtly anti-Western countries—an endeavor that failed spectacularly when Iran was announced as one of the new members that year. Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 24 Sep. 2024 The American Petroleum Institute, which previously opposed the idea, is now lobbying for the Senate bill. Daniel Moore, Axios, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for lobby 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lobby.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1820, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of lobby was in 1596

Dictionary Entries Near lobby

Cite this Entry

“Lobby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lobby. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

lobby

1 of 2 noun
lob·​by ˈläb-ē How to pronounce lobby (audio)
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
lobbyist noun

Legal Definition

lobby

1 of 2 noun
lob·​by
plural lobbies
: a group of persons engaged in lobbying especially as representatives of a particular interest group

lobby

2 of 2 verb
lobbied; lobbying

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

: to attempt to influence or sway (as a public official) toward a desired action
lobbyer noun
lobbyist noun

More from Merriam-Webster on lobby

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