vestibule

noun

ves·​ti·​bule ˈve-stə-ˌbyül 

1

a

: a passage, hall, or room between the outer door and the interior of a building : lobby

b

: an enclosed entrance at the end of a railway passenger car

2

: any of various bodily cavities especially when serving as or resembling an entrance to some other cavity or space: such as

a

: the central cavity of the bony labyrinth of the inner ear or the parts (such as the saccule and utricle) of the membranous labyrinth that it contains

b

: the part of the left ventricle below the aortic orifice

c

: the space between the labia minora containing the orifice of the urethra

d

: the part of the mouth cavity outside the teeth and gums

3

: a course that offers access (as to something new)

vestibuled

ˈve-stə-ˌbyüld 

adjective

Synonyms of vestibule

• foyer
• hallway
• lobby

Examples of vestibule in a Sentence

please leave your wet boots in the vestibule

Recent Examples on the Web

The footage shows the NYPD officer repositioning himself in the home's vestibule and closing the door between himself and the living room. —Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026

Police have blocked the ATM lanes off with yellow crime scene tape, and multiple agencies, including Dallas police and Texas Rangers, can be seen searching the area around the open vestibules. —Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026

Just outside of the second fitting room, the vestibule showcases a striking black and white Palm Tree photograph by German artist Vera Lutter. —Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026

The footage showed Morales interacting with Revuckas in the building’s vestibule and inside of the couple’s unit, Rabulinski said. —Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin vestibulum forecourt

First Known Use

1726, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing vestibule

• vestibule school

Rhymes for vestibule

• minuscule
• molecule
• overrule
• poiseuille
• reticule
• ridicule
• ampoule
• bascule
• carpool
• cesspool
• ferrule
• footstool

Kids Definition

vestibule

noun

ves·​ti·​bule ˈves-tə-ˌbyü(ə)l 

: a hall or room between the outer door and the inside part of a building

Medical Definition

vestibule

noun

ves·​ti·​bule ˈves-tə-ˌbyül 

: any of various bodily cavities especially when serving as or resembling an entrance to some other cavity or space: as

a(1)

: the central cavity of the bony labyrinth of the ear

(2)

: the parts of the membranous labyrinth comprising the utricle and the saccule and contained in the cavity of the bony labyrinth

b

: the space between the labia minora containing the orifice of the urethra

c

: the part of the left ventricle of the heart immediately below the aortic orifice

d

: the part of the mouth cavity outside the teeth and gums