A waiting room is a building, or a part of a building where people sit until the event they are waiting for occurs.

There are generally two types of waiting room.

These two examples also highlight the difference between waiting rooms where the individual is asked to wait until their turn arrives (private waiting room) and waiting rooms where one can enter and leave at will (public waiting room).

Most waiting rooms contain seating for people so they do not have to stand. The private rooms used to have books and magazines to liven up the wait for attendees until the beginning of the century, when print culture began to recede with the spread of digital reading devices such as smart mobile phones and tablets ("Tablet (computer)"). In public waiting rooms it is not uncommon to find vending machines as well as information panels about the departure and arrival times of different transports. Some also have adjacent toilets. Long waiting times have prompted the installation of recreational elements next to airport or station lounges: games for children, plasma televisions and even some services such as massages or manicures.

In some countries, there are VIP waiting rooms at airports and railway stations for those who have paid a special rate or have a certain loyalty card. These will be less crowded, will have fewer seats and will offer additional services such as free coffee, daily newspapers, etc.

The films Brief Encounter and The Terminal "The Terminal (2004 film)") use waiting rooms as sets for much of their footage. They are used in other artistic fields to symbolize waiting in a general sense, transition in life and for scenes of a romantic or sad nature.