noun

atrium

/ˈeɪtriəm/ · say it: AY·tree·um

a large open central space, often glass-roofed

In Architecture & Design

In more detail

1. (noun) a large open area inside a building, often with a glass roof, usually in the center or entrance

2. (noun) one of the two upper chambers of the heart that receives blood

Examples

1. The hotel's atrium stretches up five stories and is filled with natural light.
2. Blood flows from the atrium into the ventricle of the heart.

How to use atrium

Atrium has two distinct uses: in architecture, it refers to a prominent open internal space that often extends multiple floors with natural light, commonly found in modern hotels and office buildings; in anatomy, it refers specifically to one of the heart's two receiving chambers. Both uses are standard and context determines meaning, though the anatomical sense is more precise and technical.

Common phrases

atrium of the heart
glass atrium
soaring atrium
hotel atrium
atrium lobby

Synonyms

entrance hall · foyer · lobby · central hall · chamber

Word family

atrial (adjective, especially in medical use: 'atrial fibrillation')

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse the plural: the plural of atrium is 'atria' (Latin form) rather than 'atriums,' though 'atriums' is increasingly used in informal architectural contexts.

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