apartment

[ uh-pahrt-muhnt ]

noun

1. a room or a group of related rooms, among similar sets in one building, designed for use as a dwelling.
2. a building containing or made up of such rooms.
3. any separated room or group of rooms in a house or other dwelling:

   We heard cries from an apartment at the back of the house.

4. apartments, British. a set of rooms used as a dwelling by one person or one family.

apartment

/ əˈpɑːtmənt /

noun

1. often plural any room in a building, usually one of several forming a suite, esp one that is spacious and well furnished and used as living accommodation, offices, etc
2. 1. another name (esp US and Canadian) for flat 2
   2. ( as modifier )

      apartment house

      apartment building

Other Words From

• a·part·men·tal [uh, -pahrt-, men, -tl], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of apartment¹

1635–45; < French appartement < Italian appartamento, equivalent to apparta ( re ) to separate, divide (verbal derivative of a parte apart, to one side) + -mento -ment

Word History and Origins

Origin of apartment¹

C17: from French appartement, from Italian appartamento, from appartare to set on one side, separate

Example Sentences

Because she was still feeling the effects of the drugs, Helen says she needed help walking back to her own apartment.

From BBC

Rebecca says she was pressured to sit with Salah in a hot tub in his Monaco apartment where he sexually assaulted her.

From BBC

They should look to more long-term master leasing of apartment buildings and hotels for supportive housing.

From Los Angeles Times

In order to build a larger apartment complex, her landlord plans to demolish the six-unit bungalow court in South Los Angeles that the family has called home for decades.

From Los Angeles Times

Those residents would also typically receive expanded relocation assistance to help them afford rent in a market rate unit for 42 months, the average time it takes to build a new apartment building, according to the city, which estimates payments could surpass $100,000 for such households.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• co-op
• condo
• condominium
• cooperative
• flat
• suite