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.

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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

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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

Australia uses a system known as strata, which Sherry describes as a form of commonhold similar to the condominium model used in the United States and other countries.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

Amy Cooke and her husband have been proudly flying the U.S. flag outside their San Marcos condominium for more than 20 years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

Meanwhile, condominium sales had their slowest start of the year in decades.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026

Palm Tree Music Festivals is opening a 480-unit eponymously branded condominium in the city.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

He isn’t a happy man, sitting in a small sweltering box, guarding an empty condominium.

From "Hurricane Child" by Kheryn Callender

As a real estate mogul, Trump has long invested in hotels, condominiums and golf courses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

Mahan also wants to reform a law, Senate Bill 800, which he says makes it too risky for developers to build condominiums that serve as entry into home ownership, and provide more down payment assistance.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

A nearby homeless encampment pushed the condominiums to their breaking point.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026

The tax would target homes, co-ops and condominiums that are valued above $5 million when the owner’s primary residence is elsewhere.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 27, 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

Related Words

• apartment
• co-op
• condo
• townhouse