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. British.,  apartments, 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 building

      apartment house

Other Word Forms

• apartmental 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

Authorities are searching for a man suspected of stealing multiple packages from an apartment community in Irvine over the weekend.

From Los Angeles Times

Sitting on the dusty steps of a New Haven apartment building, the generational divide suddenly looks a lot more like a wall, one that’s fortified to separate these two women for good.

From Salon

The new plan called for 734 apartments in two towers of 34 and 38 stories.

From Los Angeles Times

In July 2024, one person was killed and 10 injured in a Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv when a drone struck an apartment building near the US embassy branch office.

From BBC

Palestinian journalist Fathi Sabah, who lives in southern Gaza but owns an apartment in the city's southern Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood, said members of his family had narrowly escaped an Israeli incursion.

From BBC

Related Words

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