dormitory

[ dawr-mi-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee ]

noun

, plural dor·mi·to·ries.

1. a building, as at a college, containing a number of private or semiprivate rooms for residents, usually along with common bathroom facilities and recreation areas.
2. a room containing a number of beds and serving as communal sleeping quarters, as in an institution, fraternity house, or passenger ship.

dormitory

/ -trɪ; ˈdɔːmɪtərɪ /

noun

1. a large room, esp at a school or institution, containing several beds
2. a building, esp at a college or camp, providing living and sleeping accommodation
3. modifier denoting or relating to an area from which most of the residents commute to work (esp in the phrase dormitory suburb )

Word History and Origins

Origin of dormitory¹

1475–85; < Latin dormītōrium bedroom, equivalent to dormī ( re ) to sleep + -tōrium -tory ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of dormitory¹

C15: from Latin dormītōrium, from dormīre to sleep

Example Sentences

President Zelensky wrote on X that the building was a dormitory at a local school.

From BBC

Camp attendees have told of how he would often parade around without clothes in the boys’ dormitories - where he also slept, unlike other staff members.

From BBC

Multiple posts suggest some universities in Zhengzhou have now asked students to return to their dormitories and imposed restrictions on them leaving the campus.

From BBC

The floor of the dormitory, where the contestants sleep at night, has been divided in two.

From BBC

They also complained that they were subject to a 10 p.m. curfew in their dormitories.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bedroom
• dorm
• dorm room