plural atria
ˈā-trē-ə 
also atriums
also atriums
1
: the central room of a Roman house
2
plural usually atriums
a
: a rectangular open patio around which a house is built
b
: a many-storied court in a building (such as a hotel) usually with a skylight
3
[New Latin, from Latin]
: an anatomical cavity or passage
especially
: the chamber or either of the chambers of the heart that receives blood from the veins and forces it into the ventricle or ventricles see heart illustration
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In an ancient Roman house, an atrium was an open central court that contained the impluvium, a basin where rainwater collected. It originally contained the hearth and functioned as the center of family life. The term later came to be used for the open front courtyard of a Christian basilica, where congregants collected before services. The atrium was revived in the 20th century in the form of glass-covered, greenery-filled multistory spaces sometimes found in shopping centers, office buildings, and large hotels.
Examples of atrium in a Sentence
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Carnegie Library to Carnegie Museums: Enter the main Carnegie Museums entrance near the corner of Forbes Avenue and Craig Street, and then walk down the steps adjacent to the atrium and out of the building briefly.
—
Ryan Deto, Axios, 29 Jan. 2025
In Paris, meanwhile, the impressive Louis Vuitton flagship on the Champs-Élysées has added a cinema wall to its atrium as part of the celebration.
—Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Jan. 2025
The Bulls, his first NBA team, will launch the Derrick Rose atrium experience, showcasing everything from memorabilia to a mosaic in the shape of Rose’s logo and made using photos throughout his life and career.
—Darnell Mayberry, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
Book a room and admire the four-story glass atrium lobby or simply grab a drink at the sophisticated New York Bar, the hotel is forever a Tokyo marvel.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 28 Dec. 2024
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Ryan Deto, Axios, 29 Jan. 2025
In Paris, meanwhile, the impressive Louis Vuitton flagship on the Champs-Élysées has added a cinema wall to its atrium as part of the celebration.
—Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Jan. 2025
The Bulls, his first NBA team, will launch the Derrick Rose atrium experience, showcasing everything from memorabilia to a mosaic in the shape of Rose’s logo and made using photos throughout his life and career.
—Darnell Mayberry, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
Book a room and admire the four-story glass atrium lobby or simply grab a drink at the sophisticated New York Bar, the hotel is forever a Tokyo marvel.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 28 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for atrium
Dictionary Entries Near atrium
Cite this Entry
“Atrium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atrium. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
atrium
noun
atri·um
ˈā-trē-əm
plural atria
-trē-ə
also atriums
also atriums
: a chamber of the heart receiving blood from the veins and forcing it into a ventricle that in lung-breathing vertebrates (as frogs and human beings) is one of two chambers of which the right receives blood full of carbon dioxide from the body and the left receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs but in gill-breathing vertebrates (as fishes) is only a single chamber
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