narthex

noun

nar·​thex ˈnär-ˌtheks 

1

: the portico of an ancient church

2

: a vestibule leading to the nave of a church

Examples of narthex in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There is a narthex, or entrance hall, brightly lit and full of movement in and out. —Diarmaid MacCulloch, The New York Review of Books, 2 July 2020

The processional from the narthex down the nave to the altar has been compressed into a passage of just a few steps. —Curbed, 6 Dec. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Late Greek narthēx, from Greek, giant fennel, cane, casket

First Known Use

circa 1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1