lobby
gb/lˈɑbi/ us/lˈɑbi/
B1
English
~ 8200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
large entrance area in a building
A big open room near the front door of a hotel, office, or other building where people come in, wait, or meet.
Usage pattern:
in the lobby of [a building]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "lobby" with "living room" or "hallway". A lobby is usually in a public building (like a hotel or office), not a private home. It is a large open space, not a long narrow corridor.
Synonyms
foyer (Similar meaning; slightly more formal and often used for theaters or large houses.)
|
reception (Focuses on the area with a desk where staff greet visitors; not always as large or open as a lobby.)
|
entrance hall (More general term for the space inside the main door of a building or house; can be smaller than a typical lobby.)
Antonyms
room (A separate enclosed room is the opposite of an open shared entrance area like a lobby.)
|
backroom (A hidden or private room away from the public entrance area.)
Collocations
hotel lobby
|office lobby
|busy lobby
|meet in the lobby
|wait in the lobby
|reception lobby
Themes
daily life
|travel
|places
|housing
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We agreed to meet in the hotel lobby at 7 p.m.
- The lobby was crowded with guests checking in and out.
- Please leave your bags in the lobby while we prepare your room.
- They decorated the office lobby with plants and modern art.
- Security asked visitors to wait in the lobby until their host arrived.
Learner examples
- I see you standing in the hotel lobby.
- Many people sit in the lobby and drink coffee.
- We walk through the lobby to reach the elevators.
- The lobby of this building is very big and bright.
Noun
B2
entity
2
organized group pressuring government
A group that tries to make the government support their ideas or protect their business or interest.
Usage pattern:
the [industry/interest] lobby
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "lobby" here means a physical place. In this sense, it is a group of people or organizations, not a room. The phrase often appears as "the [X] lobby", such as "the oil lobby" or "the gun lobby".
Synonyms
pressure group (Very close in meaning; slightly more formal and often used in political analysis.)
|
interest group (Neutral, technical term in political science; highlights that the group represents a specific interest.)
|
advocacy group (Emphasizes speaking or acting publicly for a cause, not always focused just on government.)
Antonyms
grassroots movement (Often refers to a broad, bottom-up citizen movement rather than a focused, organized lobby with direct access to power.)
|
general public (A lobby represents a specific interest, in contrast to the general public as a whole.)
Collocations
powerful lobby
|industry lobby
|environmental lobby
|business lobby
|the gun lobby
|lobby groups
Themes
politics
|business
|society
|law
Examples
- The tobacco lobby spent millions of dollars trying to block the new regulations.
- Environmental lobby groups welcomed the government’s climate plan.
- The farmers' lobby has significant influence over agricultural policy.
- A powerful business lobby is pushing for lower corporate taxes.
- Critics say the gun lobby has too much power in Congress.
Learner examples
- The car industry has a strong lobby in this country.
- The health lobby wants higher taxes on sugar drinks.
- Some people think the gun lobby is too powerful.
- A new lobby is working to protect animal rights.
Verb
B2
action
3
try to influence decision-makers
To speak to people with power again and again to try to change their decision or make them support your idea.
Usage pattern:
lobby [someone] for/against [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "lobby" without a preposition, e.g. "lobby a tax". It is more natural to say "lobby for a lower tax" or "lobby the government to lower taxes". Also, "lobby" is usually about influencing people in power, not about casual everyday disagreements.
Synonyms
pressure (Stresses strong or sometimes forceful attempts to influence someone; can sound more negative.)
|
persuade (General word for making someone agree; does not specifically suggest political or organized activity.)
|
advocate (Focuses on supporting or speaking in favor of something publicly; does not always involve direct contact with decision-makers.)
Antonyms
ignore (To pay no attention and make no attempt to influence decisions.)
|
oppose passively (To be against something without taking active steps to influence it.)
Collocations
lobby the government
|lobby lawmakers
|lobby hard for
|lobby against the bill
|actively lobby for change
|companies lobby regulators
Themes
politics
|business
|society
|law
Examples
- The company hired lawyers to lobby the government for tax breaks.
- Parents are lobbying the school board to improve safety measures.
- Environmental groups have been lobbying hard against the new coal mine.
- They lobbied members of parliament for stricter gun control laws.
- Employees are lobbying management for more flexible working hours.
Learner examples
- Students plan to lobby the mayor about bus prices.
- Many doctors lobby the government for better hospitals.
- Workers want to lobby their boss for higher pay.
- The group lobbied against the new law.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
4
corridor beside a parliament chamber
In a parliament building, the space next to the main room where members and other people can walk, wait, and talk.
Usage pattern:
in the lobby of [a parliament/house]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this political meaning of "lobby" with a normal building entrance hall. In political news, "the lobby" can specifically mean the area around a parliament’s chamber and the community of reporters who work there.
Synonyms
corridor (A general word for a long passage in a building; does not carry the specific parliamentary meaning of "lobby".)
|
antechamber (A more formal word for a waiting room outside an important room; slightly old-fashioned and less specific than the parliamentary sense of "lobby".)
Antonyms
chamber (The main formal meeting room where debates and votes happen, as opposed to the informal lobby space outside it.)
Collocations
in the lobby of Parliament
|the division lobby
|the members' lobby
|reporters in the lobby
|meet MPs in the lobby
Themes
politics
|government
|law
|communication
Examples
- Journalists waited in the lobby outside the House of Commons chamber.
- The minister spoke briefly to campaigners in the lobby before the vote.
- Lobby correspondents gather information by talking to politicians in the lobby.
- Protesters were not allowed into the chamber but gathered in the public lobby.
- She met several undecided MPs in the lobby just before the division.
Learner examples
- Reporters stand in the lobby outside the main room.
- Members talk to each other in the lobby between debates.
- Visitors can watch the busy lobby of the parliament.
- The lobby is next to the place where they vote.
Grammar
Dictionary form
lobby
IPA
GB/lˈɑbi/
US/lˈɑbi/
Syllables & stress
lobby (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (lobby)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: lobby
- Plural: lobbies
Verb
- Base: lobby
- 3rd Person Singular: lobbies
- Present Participle: lobbying
- Past: lobbied
Word family
Expressions
lobby against
1/lˈɑbi əɡˈɛnst/
fixed phrase
try to influence against something
To try to make people in power stop or reject a plan, law, or idea.
Examples
- Parents are lobbying against the closure of the local school.
- Several charities are lobbying against cuts to healthcare spending.
lobby for
1/lˈɑbi fɚ/
fixed phrase
try to influence in favor
To try to make people in power support or accept a plan, law, or idea.
Examples
- Local businesses are lobbying for better public transport.
- The organization lobbied for stronger protections for migrant workers.
the gun lobby
1/ðə ɡˈʌn lˈɑbi/
fixed phrase
organized group supporting gun rights
Groups and organizations that work to stop new gun control laws and protect the right to own guns, especially in the US.
Examples
- The gun lobby has strongly opposed the new background check proposals.
- Many politicians are careful not to anger the gun lobby.