condominium

American  

[kon-duh-min-ee-uhm] / ˌkɒn dəˈmɪn i əm /

noun

• condominiums
  plural

1. an apartment house, office building, or other multiple-unit complex, the units of which are individually owned, each owner receiving a recordable deed to the individual unit purchased, including the right to sell, mortgage, etc., that unit and sharing in joint ownership of any common grounds, passageways, etc.

2. a unit in such a building.

3. International Law.

   1. joint sovereignty over a territory by several states.

   2. the territory itself.

4. joint or concurrent dominion.

---

condominium British  

/ ˌkɒndəˈmɪnɪəm /

noun

1. joint rule or sovereignty

2. a country ruled by two or more foreign powers

3. Sometimes shortened to: condo. Compare cooperative

   1. an apartment building in which each apartment is individually wholly owned and the common areas are jointly owned

   2. the title under which an apartment in such a building is owned

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• mini-condominium
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• condominiums
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of condominium

1705–15; < New Latin. See con-, dominium

---

Explanation

A condominium is a building made up of privately owned apartments. Your grandparents might decide to move into a condominium in Florida. A condominium is split into units, which can be apartments, floors of houses, or even entire houses — each of these units is also a condominium. Rather than renting from a landlord, the way you do with an apartment, each occupant owns his or her individual condominium, and they all contribute money each month for maintenance and upkeep. The Modern Latin meaning of condominium is "joint rule or sovereignty," combining com-, "together," and dominum, "right of ownership."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

condominium condominiums

The sprawling New York City duplex is located in the Novare building—formerly the Washington Square Methodist Church built in 1860, which was converted into an eight-unit condominium building in 2006.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

In 2024, Russian hackers commandeered residential webcams in Kyiv, including one installed by a condominium association to monitor the neighborhood.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

Some condominium HOAs have run into trouble recently, as MarketWatch has reported, in part due to skyrocketing insurance costs and dwindling financial reserves.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

Selling a condominium unit has become a challenge for many, as buyers get spooked at the prospect of bearing ever-rising HOA fees — even if the home comes with a lower price tag.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

He lives in a high-rise condominium on the beach in Florida.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg

He visited the Oklahoma town where he owns a vacation lodge and a Utah community with a golf resort, where he later bought four condominiums.

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

Property developer Stephen Ross has also poured billions of dollars into office towers, condominiums, retail centers and schools in West Palm Beach, Fla., about 70 miles north of Miami.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Owners of units in condominiums are increasingly struggling to sell because of surprise HOA fees, insurance problems, special assessments and stricter lending standards.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

Kevin, a tenant who also works in property sales for Forest City, believes scammers are still operating in "condominiums or serviced apartments" in the complex.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Among the benefits of his wealth, he purchased two three-bedroom condominiums in Puerta Penasco.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• apartment
• co-op
• condo
• townhouse

---