Legroom is the amount of space you have to stretch out your legs when sitting, especially in vehicles or tight spaces. When you're squeezed into an airplane seat with your knees jammed against the seat in front of you, you're suffering from a lack of legroom. When you're relaxing in a spacious movie theater seat with plenty of room to extend your legs, you're enjoying good legroom.

The word matters most when space is limited. Tall people especially notice legroom (or the lack of it) on buses, planes, and in the back seats of cars. Some airlines advertise extra legroom in certain seats, knowing that passengers will pay more for the comfort of being able to move their legs freely during a long flight.

You might hear someone complain, “There's no legroom back here!” when crammed into a crowded vehicle, or feel relieved when you discover a restaurant booth with plenty of legroom under the table. The difference between good and bad legroom can turn a short trip into either a comfortable ride or an uncomfortable ordeal.