hall

hall — noun

1. the area you step into when you enter a home or building, from where you can go

1.nounA2
Definition

the area you step into when you enter a home or building, from where you can go to the other rooms and where you often leave outdoor clothes and shoes

Example

Leo took off his wet shoes in the hall and walked into the kitchen.

A small rug in the hall helps keep dirt off the living-room floor.

collocation: in the hall

Common collocations
  • front hall
  • entrance hall
  • in the hall
  • hall table
  • hall stand
Synonyms
  • entrance hall

    more formal or explicit; emphasises the entry function

  • foyer

    often used for larger public buildings rather than homes

  • hallway

    more common in American English; can also mean corridor

Common Mistakes

I left my bag in the corridor of my house.' (meaning entrance area).
I left my bag in the hall of my house.
'corridor' refers to a long passage, not the entrance area.

2. a long, narrow passage inside a building such as a school, hotel, or apartment b

2.nounB1
Definition

a long, narrow passage inside a building such as a school, hotel, or apartment block, with doors that open into separate rooms on one or both sides

Example

The students' lockers line both walls of the school hall.

Aoi walked down the hotel hall looking for the ice machine.

down the hall: directional pattern

Common collocations
  • down the hall
  • along the hall
  • end of the hall
  • hall door
  • hall light
Synonyms
  • corridor

    more formal; preferred in British English for this sense

  • hallway

    very common in American English for both entrance and passage

  • passage

    slightly more old-fashioned or literary

  • passageway

    used especially for narrow or connecting passages

Usage Note

In British English, 'hall' often means the entrance area (sense 1), while 'corridor' is preferred for a passageway with rooms on both sides. In American English, 'hallway' is common for both senses.

Common Mistakes

The entrance hall of the hotel had many doors to guest rooms.' (meaning corridor).
The hotel corridor had doors to guest rooms on both sides.
the entrance hall is only the space near the front door, not the passage leading to rooms.

3. a large room or building where people gather for events such as concerts, public

3.nounA2
Definition

a large room or building where people gather for events such as concerts, public meetings, formal meals, or celebrations

Example

The wedding reception was held in a beautiful hall with tall windows.

All the students gathered in the main hall for the morning assembly.

main hall: common compound

Common collocations
  • concert hall
  • town hall
  • main hall
  • banquet hall
  • assembly hall
  • dance hall
Synonyms
  • auditorium

    more formal; suggests a room with tiered seating for an audience

  • assembly hall

    specifically for school or institutional gatherings

  • banquet hall

    specifically for formal meals and celebrations

  • ballroom

    specifically for dancing and formal social events

Usage Note

This sense often appears in compound nouns: 'concert hall', 'town hall', 'banquet hall', 'dance hall', 'city hall'. Many of these name the building itself, not just a room inside it.

4. a building on a university campus where students live in private or shared bedro

4.nounB1
Definition

a building on a university campus where students live in private or shared bedrooms and use common kitchens and lounges

Example

Tariro lives in a hall on the north side of the university campus.

The hall has a shared kitchen and lounge on each floor.

hall as student residence

Common collocations
  • hall of residence
  • student hall
  • residence hall
  • live in hall
  • hall warden
Synonyms
  • dormitory

    common American term; can also mean a shared sleeping room

  • residence hall

    formal term used by universities in both BrE and AmE

  • dorm

    informal short form of dormitory, very common in US student speech

Usage Note

Frequently called 'hall of residence' in British English and 'dormitory' or 'dorm' in American English. In the US, 'hall' alone usually refers to an academic building (e.g. 'Science Hall').

Common Mistakes

I live in a hall of residence in Taipei.' (American context).
I live in a dormitory in Taipei.
'hall of residence' is British; 'dormitory' or 'dorm' is the common American term.

5. a large, impressive house in the countryside, often surrounded by gardens, parks

5.nounB2
Definition

a large, impressive house in the countryside, often surrounded by gardens, parks, or farmland, and sometimes open to the public

Example

The Greenwood family has owned the hall for over two hundred years.

Visitors can tour the great hall and the gardens every afternoon.

great hall: historic compound

Common collocations
  • great hall
  • manor hall
  • country hall
  • stately hall
Synonyms
  • manor house

    specifically the main house on a country estate

  • stately home

    a British term for a large, impressive country house, often open to tourists

  • country estate

    includes the house plus the surrounding land and buildings

Usage Note

This sense is mostly found in British English, often as part of a house name (e.g. 'Dunham Hall', 'Wilton Hall'). In modern American English, 'hall' is rarely used for a country house.

Word family

  • hallway
    nounA2
  • entrance hall
    nounA2
  • hallmark
    nounC1
  • hallmarked
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/3

Hall, auditorium, arena, and convention centre all describe spaces where people gather, but they differ in size and typical use. A hall is a large room or building used for events such as concerts, meetings, or dinners — it is the most general word of the four. An auditorium is specifically a room with rows of seats facing a stage, designed for speeches, performances, or film screenings; it suggests a fixed seating arrangement that a hall may or may not have. An arena is a very large, round or oval space with tiered seats, built for sports, big concerts, or shows — much bigger than a typical hall. A convention centre is a building with multiple halls and meeting rooms designed for conferences and trade fairs. For example, a school might have an assembly hall for weekly gatherings, but the graduation ceremony would be held in a larger auditorium or arena, and a major industry conference would take place at a convention centre.

hall ↗auditorium ↗arena ↗convention centre

Common collocations

Nouns

  • hall door
  • hall light
  • hall floor
  • hall window
  • hall wall

Phrases

  • entrance hall
  • hall of residence
  • main hall

Prepositions

  • in the hall
  • into the hall
  • through the hall
  • across the hall

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'hall' comes from Old English 'heall', which meant a large house or building with a roof, especially the main residence of a lord or king. It shares roots with the Old High German 'halla' and Old Norse 'hǫll', all from the Proto-Germanic '*hallō'. These trace further back to the Proto-Indo-European '*ḱel-', meaning 'to cover' or 'to hide' — the same root that gave us 'cell', 'conceal', and 'helmet'. In medieval times, a hall was the main living and dining space of a castle or manor. Over the centuries, the meaning broadened: first to any large building for public events, then to the entrance area and corridors of ordinary houses.