abode
1 Americannoun
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a place in which a person resides; residence; dwelling; habitation; home.
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an extended stay in a place; sojourn.
verb
noun
verb
Etymology
Origin of abode
1200–50; Middle English abood a waiting, delay, stay; akin to abide
Explanation
Your abode is where you live. The Queen of England's abode may be far from humble, but it's the home where she rests her weary crown at the end of each day. Though it is often humble, as in, "Welcome to our humble abode," an abode is just a formal way of describing your home. A British solicitor (lawyer) would also use the word abode to describe his office, and if he worked from his home the word would cover both his work and his residence. Interestingly, if you were to substitute the o in the middle of the word for a c, you'd have the first five letters of the alphabet — abcde.
Vocabulary lists containing abode
There's No Word Like Home
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Refugee
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This Week in Words: August 6 - 10, 2018
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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.
When it was being leased by Jackson, the luxe abode also boasted 13 bathrooms, 12 fireplaces, a private theater room, wine cellar, spa, gym, an elevator, and a guesthouse.
From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026
He paid $7.8 million for the abode, again using an LLC for the transaction.
From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026
His new unit is dwarfed by that record-breaking abode, which is located inside a glittering high-rise at 220 Central Park South, and which spans 24,000 square feet across four floors.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026
Perhaps his most ambitious abode is his as-yet unfinished megamansion in Palm Beach, which is reportedly going to be worth a staggering $1 billion when completed.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026
He just stands there looking at me until, finally, he extends his hand as if reluctantly welcoming me to his humble abode.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
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.
