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Synonyms

barracks

British  
/ ˈbærəks /

plural noun

  1. a building or group of buildings used to accommodate military personnel

  2. any large building used for housing people, esp temporarily

  3. a large and bleak building

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of barracks

C17: from French baraque , from Old Catalan barraca hut, of uncertain origin

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.

Besides the chapel, they are a trolley station, a wing of barracks and the superintendent’s and governor’s residences.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

I spoke to sources who have worked in a defense capacity, and they said most likely this was human error—that it’s right next to a barracks and it could have been an error in combat.

From Slate • Mar. 3, 2026

Washington holds the Lebanon-based group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, responsible for the deadly bombings of a US Marine barracks and the embassy in Beirut in 1983.

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026

The family of an 18-year-old soldier who died in his barracks nine days after escorting Queen Elizabeth II's coffin said his regiment needed to take "better care of the soldiers".

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

It will be better, everyone assured everyone else, when we move into permanent barracks.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom