Receptionist
/rɪˈsɛp.ʃən.ɪst/noun
A person employed to receive and greet visitors, answer calls, and manage front-desk duties.
Did you know?Receptionist comes from the same Latin root as “receive,” which began as the idea of “taking back” or “taking in,” not just politely greeting people.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kap-
“to grasp, take”
Latin
Latin
capere
“to take, seize”
Latin
Latin
receptus
“taken back, received”
Old French
Old French
reception
“a receiving, acceptance”
Late 19th Century
English
receptionist
“a person who receives visitors or callers at a front desk”
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