posada

American  

[poh-sah-duh, paw-sah-thah] / poʊˈsɑ də, pɔˈsɑ ðɑ /

noun

plural

posadas

1. (in some Spanish-speaking countries) a government-operated or -approved inn offering moderately priced rooms to tourists, especially in a historic area.

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posada British  

/ poˈsaða /

noun

1. an inn in a Spanish-speaking country

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Etymology

Origin of posada

1755–65; < Spanish: inn, lodging, dwelling, equivalent to pos ( ar ) to lodge, rest (< Late Latin pausāre; see pose ¹) + -ada, feminine of -ado -ate ¹

Example Sentences

The posada was a moment of hope and happiness amid turmoil, and a reminder that not all law enforcement officers see immigration status as a measure of worth.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 27, 2025

On the road rising to the Pyrenees, we stop at a posada, a roadside inn where strings of chorizo and peppers hang like wind chimes above the bar.

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025

In a 2015 profile, he told The Times that he was guided by the concept of la posada — meaning inn or lodging.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2025

On a recent Sunday, advocacy groups organized a posada, a Mexican celebration of the biblical Joseph and Mary seeking shelter for Mary to give birth and being turned away until they were given the stable.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 23, 2023

Bill and I got down and went into the posada.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway