Meanings
nounreceptionist (plural receptionists)
plural receptionists
- An employee (such as a secretary) who works in reception (receiving visitors and/or calls) for a person or business, especially an office.
"At the moment, I think I'm working for the Central Intelligence Corporation, the Mafia, and Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong." "I see," the receptionist, making a note.
1992, Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, page 366 - lifestyleA proponent of receptionism.
Origin
Recorded since 1901, derived from reception + -ist.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic مُوَظَّف الْاِسْتِقْبَال, مُوَظَّفَةُ الْاِسْتِقْبَال
- مُوَظَّف الْاِسْتِقْبَال (muwaẓẓaf al-istiqbāl)employee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- مُوَظَّفَةُ الْاِسْتِقْبَال (muwaẓẓafatu l-istiqbāl)employee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Catalan recepcionista
- recepcionistaemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Chinese Mandarin 接待員 /接待员, 招待員 /招待员
- 接待員 /接待员 (jiēdàiyuán)employee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- 招待員 /招待员 (zhāodàiyuán)employee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Czech recepční
- recepčníemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Dutch receptionist, onthaalbediende
- receptionistemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- onthaalbediendeemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Esperanto akceptisto
- akceptistoemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Finnish vastaanottovirkailija, reseptionisti
- vastaanottovirkailijaemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- reseptionistiemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
French réceptionniste
- réceptionnisteemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
German Empfangsdame, Empfangssekretärin
- Empfangsdameemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- Empfangssekretärinemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- Portieremployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Greek ρεσεψιονίστ
- ρεσεψιονίστ (resepsioníst)employee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Hebrew פקיד קבלה
- פקיד קבלה (pkid kabalá)employee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Hungarian recepciós, portás
- recepciósemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- portásemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Indonesian penerima tamu, resepsionis
- penerima tamuemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- resepsionisemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Irish fáilteoir
- fáilteoiremployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Italian addetto al ricevimento, addetto all'accettazione
- addetto al ricevimentoemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- addetto all'accettazioneemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- addetto alla receptionemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- receptionistemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Japanese 受付係
- 受付係 (uketsuke-gakari)employee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Korean 리셉셔니스트, 접수인
- 리셉셔니스트 (risepsyeoniseuteu)employee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- 접수인 (jeopsu'in)employee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Māori kaitaupaepae, kiripaepae
- kaitaupaepaeemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- kiripaepaeemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- kaiwhakatau manuhiriemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Norwegian Bokmål resepsjonist
- resepsjonistemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Polish recepcjonista, recepcjonistka
- recepcjonistaemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- recepcjonistkaemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Portuguese recepcionista, rececionista
- recepcionistaemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- rececionistaemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Romanian recepționer, recepționeră
- recepționeremployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- recepționerăemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Russian секрета́рь, секрета́рша
- секрета́рь (sekretárʹ)employee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- секрета́рша (sekretárša)employee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- регистра́тор (registrátor)employee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- администра́тор (administrátor)employee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- портье́ (portʹjé)employee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Scottish Gaelic fàiltiche
- fàilticheemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Spanish recepcionista, secretaria
- recepcionistaemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- secretariaemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Swedish receptionist
- receptionistemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Thai พนักงานต้อนรับ
- พนักงานต้อนรับ (pá-nák-ngaan-dtɔ̂ɔn-ráp)employee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Turkish resepsiyonist, resepsiyon memuru
- resepsiyonistemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- resepsiyon memuruemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Vietnamese tiếp tân
- tiếp tânemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Welsh croesawydd, derbynnydd
- croesawyddemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
- derbynnyddemployee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting
Cite this entry
APA
receptionist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/receptionist
MLA
“receptionist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/receptionist. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “receptionist,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/receptionist.
Source: receptionist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.