foyer

noun

foy·​er ˈfȯi(-ə)r How to pronounce foyer (audio) ˈfȯi-ˌ(y)ā How to pronounce foyer (audio)
also ˈfwä-ˌyā
Synonyms of foyer
: an anteroom or lobby especially of a theater
also : an entrance hallway : vestibule

Synonyms of foyer

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Examples of foyer in a Sentence

theatergoers crowded the foyer during the play's intermission leave your muddy boots in the foyer and come into the house
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Guests will arrive in the foyer, where the circular entrance dome will be restored to recreate its golden appearance from the 1920s, when the building was a cinema. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026 A couple of days before the Ann Demeulemeester show at Paris Fashion Week, eager models are standing in the foyer of the brand’s studio in the Marais, waiting patiently with their picture in hand. — Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026 Tailored for grand-scale leisure and entertainment, a double-height, skylit entry foyer boasting a sweeping artisan ironwork staircase leads to formal living and dining rooms. — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2026 That same day, representatives of East Berlin’s theaters gathered secretly in the side foyer of the Volksbühne, which had opened in 1914 as part of a socialist effort to break the upper-class monopoly on education and the arts. — Ian Johnson, The New York Review of Books, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for foyer

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, fireplace, from Vulgar Latin *focarium, from Latin focus hearth

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of foyer was in 1833

Rhymes for foyer

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Browse Nearby Words

foy boat
foyer
Foyle
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Cite this Entry

“Foyer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foyer. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

foyer

noun
foy·​er ˈfȯi(-ə)r How to pronounce foyer (audio) ˈfȯi-ˌ(y)ā How to pronounce foyer (audio)
1
: a lobby especially in a theater
2
: an entrance hallway : vestibule

More from Merriam-Webster on foyer

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about foyer

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