In an office or hospital, the receptionist is the person whose job is to answer the telephone, arrange appointments, and deal with people when they first arrive. someone whose job is to welcome and deal with people arriving in a hotel or office building, visiting a doctor etc
() Recorded since 1901, derived from reception (itself from Latin receptiō (“the act of receiving; reception”), from receptus, the perfect passive participle of recipiō (“receive”)) + -ist.