abode
1 Americannoun
-
a place in which a person resides; residence; dwelling; habitation; home.
-
an extended stay in a place; sojourn.
verb
noun
verb
Etymology
Origin of abode
1200–50; Middle English abood a waiting, delay, stay; akin to abide
Explanation
Your abode is where you live. The Queen of England's abode may be far from humble, but it's the home where she rests her weary crown at the end of each day. Though it is often humble, as in, "Welcome to our humble abode," an abode is just a formal way of describing your home. A British solicitor (lawyer) would also use the word abode to describe his office, and if he worked from his home the word would cover both his work and his residence. Interestingly, if you were to substitute the o in the middle of the word for a c, you'd have the first five letters of the alphabet — abcde.
Vocabulary lists containing abode
There's No Word Like Home
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Refugee
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: August 6 - 10, 2018
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It feels almost like a scene from his new film, “The Christophers,” about an aging painter living in a similarly historic abode.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
Lorenze and Paul will have to manage the renovations of their new abode while also balancing the tennis pro’s hectic work schedule, which requires him to travel extensively for much of the year.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026
Actress-turned-talk show host Drew Barrymoreis parting ways with her historical Westchester retreat after putting the sprawling abode on the market for $4.99 million—just two years after she bought it.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
It was a noisy and chaotic abode when I grew up there as the youngest of five siblings.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
Near the town was Gotama’s favorite abode, the Jetavana grove, which the rich merchant Anatha-pindika, a great devotee of the Illustrious One, had presented to him and his followers.
From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
