What does entresol mean?
An entresol is a low, intermediate storey inserted between the two main floors of a building, most typically between the ground floor and the floor above it. The term comes from French, combining 'entre' ('between') and 'sol' ('ground'), reflecting its usual position hovering just above ground level. Entresols are common in European architecture, particularly in grand nineteenth-century townhouses and apartment buildings, where they provide extra usable space without adding a full storey to the façade; they might house a study, guest room, service area, or storage. In modern usage the word is somewhat formal and appears chiefly in architectural description and real estate writing about continental properties, where 'mezzanine' serves as the more familiar everyday equivalent. For readers interested in architecture or elegant vocabulary, 'entresol' offers a precise, evocative term for those charming in-between spaces that full words like 'floor' or 'storey' fail to capture.
nounA low storey or partial floor situated between two main floors of a building, typically just above the ground floor; an intermediate level resembling a mezzanine.
- A low intermediate storey or partial floor between two principal floors of a building, usually directly above the ground floor.
"The architect tucked a compact study into the entresol above the reception hall."
"The apartment's entresol bedroom overlooked the double-height living room below."
"In nineteenth-century Parisian townhouses, the entresol often housed servants' quarters or storage."
Regular plural; the word may remain uninflected in French-influenced contexts, but 'entresols' is standard in English.
"The building's entresols were converted into light-filled studio spaces."
'Entresol' literally means 'between-ground' in French — a whole architectural concept hiding in two tiny Latin roots.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of entresol
Entresol was borrowed from French, where it is formed from 'entre' ('between', from Latin 'inter') and 'sol' ('ground, soil', from Latin 'solum'). The word thus literally means 'between ground', describing a level set between the ground floor and the storey above. It entered English usage in the eighteenth century as architects adopted French terminology for continental building styles. Its roots connect it to English words such as 'terrain' and 'subsoil', which also descend from Latin 'solum'.
How entresol is actually used
Somewhat formal and architectural in register; more common in British English and in writing about European architecture. In everyday speech, 'mezzanine' is far more frequent.
Easily confused with entresol
Though often interchangeable in casual use, 'entresol' specifically denotes a low intermediate storey of continental European origin, while 'mezzanine' is the more common general term for any partial floor between main storeys.