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

Synonyms for lobby

Synonyms: Noun

foyer,
hall

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 Post information in the lobby, email residents, and generally let everyone know about these upcoming expenses. — Gary Singer, sun-sentinel.com, 28 Oct. 2021 Sage green velvet seating in the lobby plays off blonde oak and black steel, creating a vintage effect that still feels very much modern-day seductive. — Baz Dreisinger, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2021 Their first day there, George bumped into keyboardist Billy Preston in the lobby, and recruited him on the spot. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2021 In the lobby, Caro met up with Paul Bogaards, his publicist at Knopf, and André Bernard, an old friend who’d arranged the archive’s sale. — Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2021 The victim was later seen in the lobby visibly upset and called 911, according to those documents. — Adam Shaw, Fox News, 22 Oct. 2021 To curb the problems, district administrators recently set up metal detectors at the public entrance to their headquarters and stopped allowing anyone to congregate in the lobby, among other measures. — Leslie Postal, orlandosentinel.com, 15 Oct. 2021 Visitors can come to see the art and learn about the world of NFTs displayed in the lobby. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 9 Oct. 2021 At the center is a circular two-story lobby and bar that offers undisturbed views across the vessel. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 13 Sep. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The second was at the start of the first special session in mid-July, when a majority of House Democrats fled to Washington D.C. to lobby Congress for federal voting rights legislation. — Dallas News, 30 Aug. 2021 That month, according to Common Cause, industry groups were spending $1.4 million a day to lobby members of Congress. — Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 The officers testifying have become increasingly politically active in recent months, and went from office to office in May to lobby Senate Republicans to support an outside commission to investigate the insurrection. — Mary Clare Jalonick, Chron, 27 July 2021 Ultimately, the Right to Repair fight will likely still continue at the state level, and advocates plan to continue to lobby Congress for changes as well. — Lauren Goode, Wired, 9 July 2021 The second is a resolution to lobby the U.S. Congress to protect the cone-bearing evergreens through reclassifying a swath within an existing National Heritage Area in northeastern Nevada’s Spring Valley. — The Salt Lake Tribune, 17 Mar. 2021 In the meantime, Andrews is leading webinars in COVID-19 prevention for the National Congress of American Indians, traveling to Washington to lobby Congress, and working to complete yet another grant application. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Feb. 2021 Several airline unions continue to lobby Congress for a stimulus bill that includes payroll funding for their employees. — Pete Muntean And Gregory Wallace, CNN, 3 Dec. 2020 When the lawsuit failed to change the result, Tillion continued to lobby for passage of a constitutional amendment guaranteeing dividend payments and the resumption of the state income tax. — James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Oct. 2021

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.