Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Receptionist |
ReceptionistNoun1. A secretary whose main duty is to answer the telephone and receive visitors. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
| Domain | Definition |
Occupations | Receives callers at establishment, determines nature of business, and directs callers to destination: Obtains caller's name and arranges for appointment with person called upon. Directs caller to destination and records name, time of call, nature of business, and person called upon. May operate PBX telephone console to receive incoming messages. May type memos, correspondence, reports, and other documents. May work in office of medical practitioner or in other health care facility and be designated Outpatient Receptionist (medical ser.) or Receptionist, Doctor's Office (medical ser.). May issue visitor's pass when required. May make future appointments and answer inquiries [INFORMATION CLERK (clerical) 237.367-022]. May perform variety of clerical duties [ADMINISTRATIVE CLERK (clerical) 219.362-010] and other duties pertinent to type of establishment. May collect and distribute mail and messages. (references) |
| Greets guests arriving at country club, catered social function, or other gathering place. Introduces guests and suggests planned activities, such as dancing or games. Gives directions to personnel engaged in serving of refreshments. May plan menus and supervise activities of food-service workers. May plan and participate in social activities, games, and sports, depending on nature of establishment or function. May deposit or pick up guests at railway station, home, or other location as directed. (references) | |
Public Administration | One who is employed in a business or professional establishment to greet and help visitors, business callers, or patients. Source: European Union. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Crosswords: Receptionist |
| English words defined with "receptionist": desk clerk ♦ hotel clerk, hotel desk clerk. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "receptionist": Line 7 ♦ NURSE, OFFICE ♦ reception clerk. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Receptionist" is also a word in the following languages with English translations in parentheses. Flemish (receptionist), Italian (receptionist), Swedish (desk clerk, receptionist). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Max, have you gone mad? A receptionist who can't speak English (The Producers; writing credit: Mel Brooks) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
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Periodicals |
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Theater & Movies | |||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | A receptionist speaks on the phone at her desk. She is sitting in front of a typewriter. See artwork: GR-42. Credit: Bill Branson (photographer). |  | Johnson & Johnson, Metuchen, New Jersey. Receptionist, at desk. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Esso Building, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Lobby with receptionist. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | August A. Busch Co., 111 6th St., Cambridge, Massachusetts. Lobby, to receptionist. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
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| "Receptionist" by Muid Latif Commentary: "A simple shot of receptionist counter." | "Phone girl" by Peter Skadberg Commentary: "Office receptionist." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| "Receptionist" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 98.55% of the time. "Receptionist" is used about 414 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 98.55% | 408 | 13,799 |
| Noun (proper) | 0.97% | 4 | 175,879 |
| Noun (common) | 0.48% | 2 | 245,945 |
| Total | 100.00% | 414 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "receptionist": receptionist-cum-switchboard. | |
Ending with "receptionist": clerk-receptionist, nurse-receptionist, secretary-receptionist. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "receptionist"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Afrikaans | ontvangsdame. (various references) | |
Albanian | sportelist (cashier, desk clerk), sekretar (actuary, amanuensis, clerk, draftsman, draughtsman, scribe, secretary). (various references) | |
Arabic | موظف الإستقبال (reception clerk), المرحب بالزائرين. (various references) | |
Asturian | recepcionista. (various references) | |
Basque | harrera-langilea. (various references) | |
Breton | degemerour. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | рецепционист. (various references) | |
Cebuano | tig-abiabi. (various references) | |
Chinese | 接待员. (various references) | |
Czech | recepèní. (various references) | |
Dutch | receptioniste. (various references) | |
Esperanto | akceptistino. (various references) | |
Faeroese | móttøkufólk. (various references) | |
Farsi | پذیرگر. (various references) | |
Finnish | vastaanottovirkailija, portieeri. (various references) | |
Flemish | receptionist, bediende (store clerk). (various references) | |
French | receptionniste, réceptionniste (reception clerk). (various references) | |
French Canadian | réceptionniste (receptioniste). (various references) | |
Frisian | resepsjonist. (various references) | |
Galician | recepcionista. (various references) | |
German | Sprechstundenhilfe (doctor's assistant), Empfangschef (head porter, reception clerk, room clerk), empfangsdame (room clerk). (various references) | |
Greek | ρεσεψιονίστ. (various references) | |
Hebrew | פקיד קבלה. (various references) | |
Hungarian | fogadó portás. (various references) | |
Indonesian | resepsionis. (various references) | |
Inuktitut | uqaluutimik kiusiji. (various references) | |
Irish | fáilteoir. (various references) | |
Italian | receptionist, portiere (clerk, concierge, custodian, doorkeeper, doorman, gatekeepers, goalie, goalkeeper, janitor, porter). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 接待係 (welcoming committee), 応接係 (desk clerk). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | おうせつがかり (desk clerk), おうせつかかり (desk clerk), せったいがかり (welcoming committee). (various references) | |
Korean | 접객원. (various references) | |
Luxembourgish | réceptionistin, réceptionist. (various references) | |
Macedonian | recepcioner. (various references) | |
Manx | oltagher, failteyr. (various references) | |
Norwegian | resepsjonsvakten (the receptionist). (various references) | |
Pig Latin | eceptionistray.(various references) | |
Portuguese | recepcionista (hostess). (various references) | |
Provencal | recepcionista. (various references) | |
Romanian | recepþionista (the receptionist). (various references) | |
Russian | секретарь в приемной, секретарша. (various references) | |
Samoan | saenisi. (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | recepcioner. (various references) | |
Slovene | receptor. (various references) | |
Spanish | recepcionista (front deskattendant, room clerk). (various references) | |
Swedish | receptionist (desk clerk). (various references) | |
Turkish | resepsiyonist (clerk, desk clerk), karşılama görevlisi. (various references) | |
Ukrainian | секретар (actuary, amanuensis, clerk, scorekeeper, secretary), реєстратор (actuary, recorder, register). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "receptionist": receptionists. (additional references) | |
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"Receptionist" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: deceptionist, recptionist, retentionist. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "receptionist" (pronounced ruse"pshunust or rēse"pshunust) |
| 6 | -sh u n u s t | abolitionist, abortionist, conservationist, contortionist, impressionist, exhibitionist, expressionist, interventionist, isolationist, nutritionist, obstructionist, preservationist, protectionist, reservationist, revolutionist, secessionist, segregationist. |
| 5 | -u n u s t | agonist, antagonist, anticommunist, arsonist, accompanist, botanist, chauvinist, colonist, communist, illusionist, determinist, feminist, misogynist, organist, protagonist, unionist. |
| 4 | -n u s t | balloonist, cartoonist, cleanest, columnist, hygienist, dishonest, earnest, finest, funnest, greenest, gymnast, harnessed, honest, internist, keenest, leanest, machinist, meanest, modernist, noncommunist, opportunist, pianist, soonest, sternest, tannest, thinnest, violinist, witnessed. |
| 3 | -u s t | agriculturalist, agronomist, alarmist, alchemist, allergist, amethyst, amorist, analyst, anarchist, anatomist, anesthesiologist, anesthetist, angriest, animist, anthropologist, apologist, apprenticed, aquarist, archaeologist, archivist, absolutist, ablest, activist, artist, atheist, August, ballast, barest, behaviorist, biased, bicyclist, biggest, biochemist, biologist, bitterest, blackest, bleakest, bloodiest, bluest, bluntest, boldest, bravest, breakfast, briefest, brightest, broadest, busiest, buttressed, calloused, canoeist, canvassed, capitalist, cardiologist, caricaturist, catalyst, cellist, cheapest, choicest, clarinetist, classicist, closest, coldest, colonialist, conversationalist, coolest, cornettist, craziest, creamiest, criminologist, cruelest, cultist, cyclist, darkest, idealist, ideologist, immunologist, imperialist, deadliest, dearest, deepest, deforest, deist, densest, dentist, dermatologist, direst, dirtiest, disinterest, driest, druggist, dullest, dumbest, earliest, easiest, ecologist, economist, editorialist, eldest, elitist, embarrassed, empiricist, encompassed, encyclopedist, endocrinologist, entomologist, environmentalist, epidemiologist, ethicist, ethnomusicologist, exorcist, extremist, faintest, fairest, fanciest, farthest, fascist, fastest, fattest, federalist, fetishist, fewest, fiercest, finalist, firmest, fittest, flimsiest, florist, focused, focussed, foggiest, fondest, forest, formalist, freest, freshest, friendliest, fullest, fundamentalist, funniest, furthest, generalist, geneticist, gentlest, geologist, gerontologist, goldest, grandest, gravest, grayest, greatest, greediest, grimaced, grimmest, grooviest, guitarist, gynecologist, happiest, hardest, harshest, harvest, healthiest, heaviest, heftiest, herbalist, highest, hippest, hobbyist, holiest, hottest, hugest, humblest, humorist, individualist, industrialist, institutionalist, instrumentalist, interest, internationalist, jaundiced, journalist, juiciest, junkiest, kindest, kremlinologist, largest, latest, laziest, leftist, librettist, lightest, likeliest, linguist, littlest, liveliest, lobbyist, locust, longest, loudest, lowest, loyalist, luckiest, lyricist, manicurist, mannerist, masochist, materialist, medalist, mercantilist, merest, meteorologist, methodist, microbiologist, mightiest, mildest, mineralogist, modest, monopolist, motorcyclist, motorist, musicologist, narrowest, nastiest, nationalist, naturalist, nearest, neatest, neediest, neurologist, neuroscientist, neutralist, newest, noblest, noisiest, nonconformist, noninterest, noticed, novelist, oboist, oddest, oldest, oncologist, ophthalmologist, orthodontist, orthopedist, pacifist, paleontologist, palest, panelist, pathologist, pessimist, pharmacist, philanthropist, photojournalist, physiologist, polemicist, poorest, populist, prefaced, prejudiced, premised, prettiest, priciest, promised, propagandist, proudest, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, psychologist, psychotherapist, purchased, purest, quickest, quietest, quietist, racist, radiologist, rainforest, rainiest, rapist, rarest, reddest, refocused, reforest, remotest, repurchased, reservist, resurfaced, rheumatologist, richest, rightist, riskiest, ritziest, roughest, rudest, saddest, sadist, safest, satirist, savviest, scariest, scientist, secularist, seismologist, semifinalist, separatist, serologist, serviced, severest, sexiest, shakiest, sharpest, shortest, showiest, shrewdest, sickest, silliest, simplest, skimpiest, skinniest, sleekest, slickest, slightest, slimmest, sloppiest, slowest, smallest, smartest, smoggiest, smoothest, socialist, sociologist, softest, soundest, specialist, spiritualist, stablest, staunchest, steepest, stickiest, stiffest, stormiest, strangest, strategist, strictest, strongest, stupidest, supremacist, surest, surfaced, survivalist, sweetest, swiftest, tallest, technologist, televangelist, tempest, terraced, theorist, therapist, thickest, thorniest, tightest, tiniest, toniest, toughest, tourist, toxicologist, traditionalist, trendiest, trickiest, truest, ugliest, ultranationalist, unbiased, unfocused, unkindest, unnoticed, urologist, violist, virologist, vocalist, warmest, weakest, wealthiest, weirdest, wettest, whitest, widest, wildest, wisest, worthiest, yellowest, youngest, zaniest, zoologist. |
| 6 | -sh u n u s t | abolitionist, abortionist, conservationist, contortionist, impressionist, exhibitionist, expressionist, interventionist, isolationist, nutritionist, obstructionist, preservationist, protectionist, reservationist, revolutionist, secessionist, segregationist. |
| 5 | -u n u s t | agonist, antagonist, anticommunist, arsonist, accompanist, botanist, chauvinist, colonist, communist, illusionist, determinist, feminist, misogynist, organist, protagonist, unionist. |
| 4 | -n u s t | balloonist, cartoonist, cleanest, columnist, hygienist, dishonest, earnest, finest, funnest, greenest, gymnast, harnessed, honest, internist, keenest, leanest, machinist, meanest, modernist, noncommunist, opportunist, pianist, soonest, sternest, tannest, thinnest, violinist, witnessed. |
| 3 | -u s t | agriculturalist, agronomist, alarmist, alchemist, allergist, amethyst, amorist, analyst, anarchist, anatomist, anesthesiologist, anesthetist, angriest, animist, anthropologist, apologist, apprenticed, aquarist, archaeologist, archivist, absolutist, ablest, activist, artist, atheist, August, ballast, barest, behaviorist, biased, bicyclist, biggest, biochemist, biologist, bitterest, blackest, bleakest, bloodiest, bluest, bluntest, boldest, bravest, breakfast, briefest, brightest, broadest, busiest, buttressed, calloused, canoeist, canvassed, capitalist, cardiologist, caricaturist, catalyst, cellist, cheapest, choicest, clarinetist, classicist, closest, coldest, colonialist, conversationalist, coolest, cornettist, craziest, creamiest, criminologist, cruelest, cultist, cyclist, darkest, idealist, ideologist, immunologist, imperialist, deadliest, dearest, deepest, deforest, deist, densest, dentist, dermatologist, direst, dirtiest, disinterest, driest, druggist, dullest, dumbest, earliest, easiest, ecologist, economist, editorialist, eldest, elitist, embarrassed, empiricist, encompassed, encyclopedist, endocrinologist, entomologist, environmentalist, epidemiologist, ethicist, ethnomusicologist, exorcist, extremist, faintest, fairest, fanciest, farthest, fascist, fastest, fattest, federalist, fetishist, fewest, fiercest, finalist, firmest, fittest, flimsiest, florist, focused, focussed, foggiest, fondest, forest, formalist, freest, freshest, friendliest, fullest, fundamentalist, funniest, furthest, generalist, geneticist, gentlest, geologist, gerontologist, goldest, grandest, gravest, grayest, greatest, greediest, grimaced, grimmest, grooviest, guitarist, gynecologist, happiest, hardest, harshest, harvest, healthiest, heaviest, heftiest, herbalist, highest, hippest, hobbyist, holiest, hottest, hugest, humblest, humorist, individualist, industrialist, institutionalist, instrumentalist, interest, internationalist, jaundiced, journalist, juiciest, junkiest, kindest, kremlinologist, largest, latest, laziest, leftist, librettist, lightest, likeliest, linguist, littlest, liveliest, lobbyist, locust, longest, loudest, lowest, loyalist, luckiest, lyricist, manicurist, mannerist, masochist, materialist, medalist, mercantilist, merest, meteorologist, methodist, microbiologist, mightiest, mildest, mineralogist, modest, monopolist, motorcyclist, motorist, musicologist, narrowest, nastiest, nationalist, naturalist, nearest, neatest, neediest, neurologist, neuroscientist, neutralist, newest, noblest, noisiest, nonconformist, noninterest, noticed, novelist, oboist, oddest, oldest, oncologist, ophthalmologist, orthodontist, orthopedist, pacifist, paleontologist, palest, panelist, pathologist, pessimist, pharmacist, philanthropist, photojournalist, physiologist, polemicist, poorest, populist, prefaced, prejudiced, premised, prettiest, priciest, promised, propagandist, proudest, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, psychologist, psychotherapist, purchased, purest, quickest, quietest, quietist, racist, radiologist, rainforest, rainiest, rapist, rarest, reddest, refocused, reforest, remotest, repurchased, reservist, resurfaced, rheumatologist, richest, rightist, riskiest, ritziest, roughest, rudest, saddest, sadist, safest, satirist, savviest, scariest, scientist, secularist, seismologist, semifinalist, separatist, serologist, serviced, severest, sexiest, shakiest, sharpest, shortest, showiest, shrewdest, sickest, silliest, simplest, skimpiest, skinniest, sleekest, slickest, slightest, slimmest, sloppiest, slowest, smallest, smartest, smoggiest, smoothest, socialist, sociologist, softest, soundest, specialist, spiritualist, stablest, staunchest, steepest, stickiest, stiffest, stormiest, strangest, strategist, strictest, strongest, stupidest, supremacist, surest, surfaced, survivalist, sweetest, swiftest, tallest, technologist, televangelist, tempest, terraced, theorist, therapist, thickest, thorniest, tightest, tiniest, toniest, toughest, tourist, toxicologist, traditionalist, trendiest, trickiest, truest, ugliest, ultranationalist, unbiased, unfocused, unkindest, unnoticed, urologist, violist, virologist, vocalist, warmest, weakest, wealthiest, weirdest, wettest, whitest, widest, wildest, wisest, worthiest, yellowest, youngest, zaniest, zoologist. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "c-e-e-i-i-n-o-p-r-s-t-t" | |
-1 letter: petitioners, repetitions. | |
-2 letters: intercepts, interstice, introspect, isentropic, nepotistic, petitioner, receptions, recipients, repetition, tricotines, trisection. | |
-3 letters: contester, copresent, cornetist, enteritis, entrepots, entropies, erections, eroticist, inceptors, inspector, intercept, interpose, intersect, interties, neoterics, petitions, pinsetter, pointiest, potencies, potteries, precision, prentices, prescient, reception, recipient, reincites, reinspect, resection, retinites, secretion, tenorites, trecentos, tricotine, tropistic. | |
-4 letters: centrist, citrines, citterns, cointers. | |
| Words containing the letters "c-e-e-i-i-n-o-p-r-s-t-t" | |
+1 letter: interceptions, introspective, perfectionist, receptionists. | |
+2 letters: decrepitations, perfectionists. | |
+3 letters: hypertonicities, introspectively, perfectionistic. | |
+4 letters: counterpetitions, nephrotoxicities. | |
+5 letters: australopithecine, complementarities, contemporaneities, electrodepositing, electrodeposition, introspectiveness, pithecanthropines, precertifications. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Crosswords 3. Usage: Modern 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Images: Slideshow 6. Images: Photo Album 7. Images: Digital Art 8. Usage Frequency | 9. Expressions 10. Expressions: Internet 11. Translations: Modern 12. Derivations | 13. Rhymes 14. Anagrams 15. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
