porch

porch — noun

1. a roofed space attached to a building around the main door, where people can sta

1.nounB2
Definition

a roofed space attached to a building around the main door, where people can stand before going in

Example

The delivery driver left the box on the porch beside the blue door.

collocation: on the porch

Rain dripped from the porch roof while Nina searched for her keys.

collocation: porch roof

Common collocations
  • porch light
  • porch roof
  • porch steps
  • wait on the porch
  • leave a package on the porch
Synonyms
  • portico

    is more formal and often suggests columns in front of a large building

  • entryway

    is broader and can refer to the inside entrance area as well

  • stoop

    usually means a small set of front steps or a small platform, often without a roof

Grammar Patterns

on the porch

wait on the porch

leave something on the porch

Usage Note

Usually right at an entrance and often smaller than sense 2. Common nearby words include roof, light, steps, and front door; if the space is mainly for sitting outside, sense 2 is more likely.

Common Mistakes

The guests waited in the hall outside the front door.
The guests waited on the porch outside the front door.
A hall is inside the building, but a porch is outside by the entrance.

2. a roofed platform for sitting outside, usually a little above the ground and joi

2.nounB2
Definition

a roofed platform for sitting outside, usually a little above the ground and joined to one part of a house

Example

Every evening, May drank tea on the front porch with two neighbors.

collocation: front porch

Three rocking chairs stood on the porch facing the river.

typical scene: rocking chairs on the porch

Common collocations
  • front porch
  • back porch
  • screened porch
  • porch swing
  • sit on the porch
Synonyms
  • veranda

    is a close match and often suggests a long roofed porch for sitting

  • sun porch

    usually means a porch enclosed with many windows or screens

  • deck

    is often open to the sky rather than covered

Grammar Patterns

sit on the porch

front porch

screened porch

Usage Note

Often modified by front, back, wraparound, or screened. Unlike sense 1, this sense suggests a broader outdoor living space where people sit, talk, or rest.

Common Mistakes

We drank tea on the balcony at the side of the house.
We drank tea on the porch at the side of the house.
A balcony is higher up, while this kind of porch is attached at ground level.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun sense 1, porch is the everyday word for a covered space by a building's main door. Veranda is close, but it usually suggests a longer sitting area rather than a small entrance space. Patio is an outdoor area beside a building, but it is usually open to the sky and paved, not roofed over the door. Deck often means a wooden platform for sitting outside and may be raised at the back or side of a house. Portico is the formal architectural word, often used for public buildings with columns. Use porch for ordinary home contexts: The package is on the porch. Use portico for a grand building entrance: Visitors stood under the portico.

porch ↗verandapatiodeck ↗portico

Common collocations

Nouns

  • porch light
  • porch roof
  • porch step
  • porch floor

Phrases

  • wait on the porch
  • sit on the porch
  • come onto the porch
  • leave something on the porch

Prepositions

  • on the porch
  • off the porch
  • onto the porch

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Porch came into English through Old French porche from Latin porticus, a word for a covered walkway or colonnade. The modern word still keeps that basic idea of a sheltered space attached to a building, especially near the entrance or along one side of a house.