# hall

/ˈhɔɫ/ (US) · /hˈɔːl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hall
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a corridor

noun · CEFR A2

a passage in a building that leads to other rooms.

For teachers: a corridor or hallway providing access to various rooms within a building.

- I left my umbrella in the hall by the front door.
- The apartment features a long, narrow hall that connects the living area to the bedrooms at the rear of the property.

### 2. a large meeting room

noun · CEFR A2

a large room used for meetings, concerts, or public events.

For teachers: a large public or communal building or room used for meetings, social events, or performances.

- The town hall was packed with people waiting for the mayor to speak.
- The local community hall serves as a versatile space for everything from morning yoga classes to evening political debates.

### 3. student accommodation

noun · CEFR B1 · British English

a building at a university where students live.

For teachers: a university building providing residential accommodation for students; often used in the plural 'halls of residence'.

- Most first-year students choose to live in a hall on campus.
- Living in university halls provides students with a structured social environment during their transition to independent academic life.

Usage: Often used in the plural form 'halls' or the phrase 'halls of residence'.

### 4. a large country house

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

a large, important house in the countryside, often with a long history.

For teachers: a large country house or manor, historically the centre of a landed estate.

- We spent the afternoon touring an old hall built in the seventeenth century.
- The ancestral hall stood at the end of a long lime-tree avenue, its grey stone walls reflecting centuries of architectural additions.

### 5. a dining area

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

a large room in a college or school where people eat their meals together.

For teachers: a large dining room in a school, college, or university, or the formal meal served there.

- The students gathered in the hall for lunch at twelve o'clock.
- Formal hall is held every Thursday evening, requiring students to wear academic gowns while dining at the long oak tables.

### 6. a living room

noun · CEFR B1 · Dialect

the main room in a house where people sit and relax.

For teachers: the principal room of a private house used for relaxing and entertaining guests.

- We sat in the hall and watched the news together after dinner.
- The family gathered in the hall, which was the largest and most comfortably furnished room in the bungalow.

Teaching tip: Commonly used in Indian English to refer to what British or American speakers call the living room.

## Examples

- Please leave your wet umbrella in the hall.
- The students gathered in the main hall to listen to the principal's morning announcement.
- The architect designed the central hall to maximize natural light, ensuring that the transition between the private offices and the public lobby felt seamless and airy.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.