# powder room

CEFR B1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/powder-room
Updated: 2026-07-28

## Definition

a small bathroom in a house or restaurant that only has a toilet and a sink. It is usually for guests and does not have a shower or bathtub.

For teachers: a small secondary bathroom containing only a toilet and washbasin, primarily intended for guest use in a residential or commercial setting. Commonly used as a polite or slightly formal euphemism for a restroom.

## Examples

- The guests can use the small powder room near the front door.
- While the main bathrooms are upstairs, we added a convenient powder room on the ground floor for visitors.
- Architects frequently position the powder room adjacent to the foyer, ensuring guest privacy while keeping the more intimate family living quarters entirely separate during social gatherings.

## Usage notes

- Typically designates a ground-floor facility without bathing fixtures; less clinical and more polite than 'toilet'.

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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.