noun
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an institution for orphans and abandoned children
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the state of being an orphan
Etymology
Origin of orphanage
Explanation
An orphanage is a place where children without parents are cared for and housed. If a child has no parents — because the parents died or lost custody — the child is considered an orphan. Orphans are parentless. An orphanage is an institution that takes care of orphans. An orphanage will care for tiny babies and also older children without parents. Orphanages care for children until they can be placed in homes and adopted.
Vocabulary lists containing orphanage
The Shakespeare Stealer
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One for the Murphys
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Tasting the Sky
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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.
But the series’ creator, Thomas Brandon, has a solution: a room at the Orphanage that is ordinarily used for the review of classified materials and which is insulated from all electronic intrusions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025
On the same day, she also fed milk to orphaned elephants at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage.
From BBC • Nov. 1, 2023
A study of chimpanzees at the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust shows the animals instinctively synchronize their steps when walking next to each other.
From Scientific American • Jan. 7, 2023
It is unclear why John would tag on a Salvation Army Orphanage, in the shape of Strawberry Field, while the physical, concrete aspects – the orphanage and the orphans – are ignored in the song.
From Salon • Sep. 30, 2022
A few days before, Reynie had been reading the newspaper over breakfast at the Stonetown Orphanage, sharing sections with his tutor, Miss Perumal.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
