Word
egress
/ɪˈɡɹɛs/
Countable & uncountable
Definition
n. a way to leave a place, like a door or exit. People use it when talking about safe ways out of buildings.
n. a way out of a building or enclosed space, such as a door or emergency passage; also the action of leaving such a space.
Examples
“The building has two clear egress routes for emergencies.”
“The office staff practise using the rear egress during fire drills to leave quickly.”
“The architect placed wide windows and a side egress to ensure occupants could leave safely even if the main stairwell filled with smoke.”
Examples
simple
“The building has two clear egress routes for emergencies.”
contextual
“The office staff practise using the rear egress during fire drills to leave quickly.”
complex
“The architect placed wide windows and a side egress to ensure occupants could leave safely even if the main stairwell filled with smoke.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “egress” in context.
Verb
01. block egress
“Never store boxes where they could block egress from the office.”
verb + noun
02. egress connects
“The north egress connects the lobby to the emergency stairs.”
noun + verb
03. egress leads
“The rear egress leads directly to the car park.”
noun + verb
04. egress opens
“The side egress opens onto an enclosed courtyard.”
noun + verb
05. ensure egress
“Safety officers ensure egress remains accessible at all times.”
verb + noun
06. maintain egress
“Building managers must maintain egress routes free of clutter.”
verb + noun
Adjective
07. emergency egress
“The building plans clearly mark the emergency egress on each floor.”
adj + noun
Noun
08. means of egress
“The code requires two separate means of egress for the hall.”
noun + prep + noun
09. path of egress
“Exit signs clearly indicate the path of egress to safety.”
noun + prep + noun
10. block the emergency egress
“Do not block the emergency egress with delivery trolleys.”
11. ensure safe egress for occupants
“Engineers redesigned the lobby to ensure safe egress for occupants.”
12. maintain a clear egress route
“Schools must maintain a clear egress route in every corridor.”
Etymology
From Latin ēgressus, from ex- + gressus.
From Latin egressum, past participle egredi.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/egress