receptionist

noun

re·​cep·​tion·​ist ri-ˈsep-sh(ə-)nist 

: a person employed to greet telephone callers, visitors, patients, or clients

Examples of receptionist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The more that technology like agentic AI and AI receptionists handle routine work and answer common questions, the more employees are free to engage in much more fulfilling experiences. — Tomas Gorny, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

At one Nutex emergency room, a receptionist turned away an uninsured patient who arrived with the telltale signs of a heart attack but was unable to pay upfront. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 29 June 2026

When approached by a reporter, a receptionist said the property’s owners had recently rebranded the site under the Econo Lodge name and may seek to pursue money from the city of Oakland to house homeless individuals. — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 25 June 2026

His father worked as a phone engineer, and his mother was a receptionist at a doctor’s office. — Nick Tabor, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

receptionist

noun

re·​cep·​tion·​ist ri-ˈsep-sh(ə-)nəst 

: an office employee who greets callers, answers questions, and arranges appointments