lobby

CEFRC1

/ˈlɒb.i/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A large entrance area inside a building.

  2. 02

    verb

    To try to persuade officials to support a cause or change.

Examples

  • Farmers will lobby Congress for higher subsidies.

  • I'll meet you in the lobby at three.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
2
Synonyms
3

Also pronounced

  • /ˈlɑ.bi/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A class or group of interested people who try to influence public officials; collectively, lobbyists.

  2. That part of a hall of legislation not appropriated to the official use of the assembly.

  3. An entryway or reception area; vestibule; passageway; corridor.

More examples

In context

  • You're not supposed to wear your slippers down to the lobby.

  • I had to wait in the lobby for hours before seeing the doctor.

  • The influence of the tobacco lobby has decreased considerably in the US.

Synonyms

Quick test

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Nearby

Origin

noun

From Medieval Latin lobia, lobium, laubia (“a portico, covered way, gallery”), borrowed from Frankish *laubijā (“arbour, shelter”), related to Old English lēaf (“foliage”). More at leaf. Doublet of leaf, lodge, and loggia. Political sense derives from the entrance hall of legislatures, where people traditionally tried to influence legislators because it was the most convenient place to meet them.