lobby

See also: Lobby

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:

lobby

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈlɒb.i/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American, dialects of Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈlɑ.bi/
• (Canada, dialects of the US) IPA^(key): /ˈlɒb.i/
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈlɔb.i/, /ˈlɒb.i/
  • Rhymes: -ɒbi

Etymology 1

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.

Noun

lobby (plural lobbies)

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

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

3. That part of a hall of legislation not appropriated to the official use of the assembly.
4. (politics) A class or group of interested people who try to influence public officials; collectively, lobbyists.

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

5. (video games) A virtual area where players can chat and find opponents for a game.
6. (nautical) An apartment or passageway in the fore part of an old-fashioned cabin under the quarter-deck.
7. A confined place for cattle, formed by hedges, trees, or other fencing, near the farmyard.
8. A margin along either side of the playing field in the sport of kabaddi.
9. A waiting area in front of a bank of elevators.
   • 2005, Charles R. "Butch" Farabee Jr., Death, Daring, and Disaster (page 135)

     Ranger Leslie Thompson, assigned to elevator duty, brought the elevator to the surface about 12:30 to bring down the tourists who were in the lobby of the elevator tower at that time.

Derived terms

• gun lobby
• lobbier
• lobby card
• lobby correspondent
• lobby fodder
• Lobbygate
• lobby group
• lobbyism
• lobbyist
• lobbylike
• lobbyman
• on lobby terms

Descendants

Descendants

• → Armenian: լոբբի (lobbi)
• → Catalan: lobby
• → Danish: lobby
• → Dutch: lobby
• → French: lobby
• → German: Lobby
• → Italian: lobby
• → Japanese: ロビー (robī)
• → Korean: 로비 (robi)
• → Macedonian: лоби (lobi)
• → Polish: lobby
• → Portuguese: lóbi, lobby (unadapted spelling)
• → Russian: ло́бби (lóbbi)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  → Cyrillic script: лоби

  → Latin script: lobi

• → Slovene: lobi
• → Spanish: lobby

Translations

entryway or waiting area; vestibule

Arabic: رَدْهَة f (radha) Armenian: նախասրահ (hy) (naxasrah) Belarusian: калідо́р m (kalidór), вестыбю́ль m (vjestybjúlʹ), фае́ n (fajé), перадпако́й m (pjeradpakój) Bulgarian: преддве́рие (bg) n (preddvérie), фоайе́ (bg) n (foajé) Catalan: vestíbul (ca) m, avantsala f Chinese: Mandarin: 門廳 / 门厅 (zh) (méntīng), 休息室 (zh) (xiūxishì), 大廳 / 大厅 (zh) (dàtīng) Czech: předsíň (cs) f, foyer (cs) m Danish: lobby (da) c Esperanto: vestiblo Etruscan: 𐌀𐌕𐌓𐌉𐌖𐌌 (atrium) Finnish: aula (fi), halli (fi), eteinen (fi), eteisaula, lobby (fi) French: vestibule (fr) m, foyer (fr) m, hall (fr) m Gallurese: patiu, intrata Georgian: ფოიე (poie) German: Lobby (de) n, Foyer (de) n, Vorraum (de) m, Vorhalle (de) f Hebrew: לוֹבִּי (he) m (lóbi) Icelandic: anddyri (is) n, forstofa (is) f, forsalur m, fordyri n, forbyrgi n Irish: forhalla m Italian: atrio (it) m Japanese: ロビー (ja) (robī), 休息所 (ja) (きゅうそくじょ, kyūsokujo) Korean: 로비 (ko) (robi), 휴게소(休憩所) (ko) (hyugeso) Macedonian: предво́рие n (predvórie), пре́дворје n (prédvorje), фоаје́ n (foajé) Maori: roro Ottoman Turkish: دهلیز (dehliz, dihliz) Persian: سرسرا (fa) (sarsarâ) Plautdietsch: Gank m Polish: korytarz (pl) m, westybul (pl) m, hol (pl) m, hall (pl) m, przedpokój (pl) m, sień (pl) m, foyer (pl) m, przedsionek (pl) m Portuguese: saguão (pt) m, vestíbulo (pt) m, átrio (pt) m Russian: коридо́р (ru) m (koridór), вестибю́ль (ru) m (vestibjúlʹ), фойе́ (ru) n (fojjé), холл (ru) m (xoll), прихо́жая (ru) f (prixóžaja) Sardinian: Campidanese: patiu Logudorese: patiu m Sassarese: patiu Scottish Gaelic: eadar-sheòmar m, for-sheòmar m Slovak: predsieň f, foyer m Spanish: vestíbulo (es) m, recibidor m, zaguán (es) m, atrio (es) m, palier (es) m (Southern Cone), lobby m Turkish: lobi (tr), dalan (tr) Ukrainian: коридо́р (uk) m (korydór), вестибю́ль m (vestybjúlʹ), фойє́ n (fojjé), хол m (xol), передпо́кій (uk) m (peredpókij) Vietnamese: hành lang (vi), phòng chờ, phòng đợi, tiền sảnh, đại sảnh

group of people who try to lobby

Armenian: լոբբի (hy) (lobbi) Belarusian: ло́бі n (lóbi) Bulgarian: ло́би n (lóbi) Catalan: lobby m Chinese: Mandarin: 遊說集團 / 游说集团 (yóushuì jítuán) Czech: lobby (cs) f Danish: lobby (da) c French: lobby (fr) m German: Lobby (de) n Hebrew: שְׁדֻלָּה (he) f (shdula), לוֹבִּי (he) m (lóbi) Hungarian: lobbi (hu) Italian: lobby (it) f Japanese: ロビー (ja) (robī), 圧力団体 (ja) (あつりょくだんたい, atsuryoku dantai) Korean: 로비 (ko) (robi), 압력단체(壓力團體) (amnyeokdanche) Macedonian: ло́би n (lóbi) Polish: lobby (pl) n Portuguese: lobby (pt) m, lóbi (pt) m Russian: ло́бби (ru) n (lóbbi) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: лоби m Roman: lobi (sh) m Slovene: lobi m Spanish: lobby m, grupo de presión m, grupo de cabildeo m, grupo cabildero m, camarilla (es) f Ukrainian: ло́бі (uk) n (lóbi)

Verb

lobby (third-person singular simple present lobbies, present participle lobbying, simple past and past participle lobbied)

1. (intransitive, transitive) To attempt to influence (a public official or decision-maker) in favor of a specific opinion or cause.

   For years, pro-life groups have continued to lobby hard for restrictions on abortion.

   • 2002, Jim Hightower, in Wikiquote

     The corporations don't have to lobby the government anymore. They are the government.

   • 2011 Allen Gregory, "Pilot" (season 1, episode 1):

     Allen Gregory DeLongpre: Yeah, it's not a big deal. I lobbied for fuel-cell technology on Capitol Hill. I'm friends with Sandy Bullock, really good friends. Who cares? It's not a pissing contest, right, J?

   • 2013 August 10, Schumpeter, “Cronies and capitols”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:

     Policing the relationship between government and business in a free society is difficult. Businesspeople have every right to lobby governments, and civil servants to take jobs in the private sector.

   • 2024 January 24, Dyan Perry talks to Nick Brodrick, “The industry has given me so much”, in RAIL, number 1001, page 45:

     "We're still at only 80% [of pre-pandemic passenger numbers], but it's great news that Southeastern put some more trains in the timetable from December," Perry explains. "We worked very closely with Southeastern to lobby government and stakeholders to increase the timetable.

Derived terms

• lobby out
• lobby up
• nonlobbying
• unlobbied

Related terms

• lobbying
• lobbyist

Translations

to attempt to influence

Belarusian: лабі́раваць impf (labíravacʹ) Bulgarian: лоби́рам impf or pf (lobíram) Chinese: Mandarin: 遊說 / 游说 (zh) (yóushuì) Danish: lobbye Esperanto: fari premon Finnish: lobata (fi) French: faire pression sur Georgian: ლობირება (lobireba) German: lobbyieren (de) Hungarian: lobbizik (hu) Italian: fare pressioni su, esercitare influenza su, fare manovre di corridoio Polish: lobbować (pl) impf Portuguese: fazer lobby Russian: лобби́ровать (ru) impf (lobbírovatʹ) Scottish Gaelic: coitich Sicilian: pruvari a cummìnciri, nzìstiri (scn), mprisiari (scn), èssiri mprisiusu Slovene: lobirati impf Spanish: cabildear (es), recabar (es), hacer lobbying Ukrainian: лобі́рувати impf (lobíruvaty), лобіювати impf (lobijuvaty) Vietnamese: vận động hành lang

Etymology 2

Shortened from lobscouse.

Noun

lobby (uncountable)

1. (West Midlands) lobscouse

   My mam cooked us lobby for tea last night.

Further reading

• “lobby”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “lobby”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “lobby”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English lobby.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɔ.bi/

• Audio (Canada (Shawinigan)):

  (file)

Noun

lobby m (plural lobbies or lobbys)

1. lobby (hall)
2. lobby (advocacy group)

   Synonym: groupe de pression

Further reading

• “lobby”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English lobby.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɔb.bi/
• Rhymes: -ɔbbi
• Hyphenation: lòb‧by

Noun

lobby f (invariable)

1. lobby (group of people; hall of a bank)

Derived terms

• lobbista

Further reading

• lobby in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Polish

Polish Wikipedia has an article on:

lobby

Wikipedia ^pl

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English lobby. Doublet of lodżia, loggia, and loża.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɔb.bɘ/, /ˈlɔb.bi/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔbbɘ, -ɔbbi
• Syllabification: lob‧by

Noun

lobby n (indeclinable)

1. lobby (entryway; corridor)
2. (politics) lobby (group of people who try to lobby)

Derived terms

adjectives

• lobbistyczny
• lobbystyczny

nouns

• lobbing
• lobbista
• lobbysta

verb

• lobbować impf

Further reading

• lobby in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• lobby in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English lobby.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈlɔ.bi/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈlɔ.bi/ [ˈlɔ.βi]

Noun

lobby m (plural lobbies)

1. alternative spelling of lóbi

Romanian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English lobby.

Noun

lobby n (uncountable)

1. lobby

Declension

Declension of lobby

singular only	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	lobby	lobbyul
genitive-dative	lobby	lobbyului
vocative	lobbyule