barracks

British  

/ ˈbærəks /

plural noun

1. a building or group of buildings used to accommodate military personnel

2. any large building used for housing people, esp temporarily

3. a large and bleak building

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Etymology

Origin of barracks

C17: from French baraque , from Old Catalan barraca hut, of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

For decades, proportional response functioned less as a strategy than a ritual: hit a transmitter, strike a barracks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

He had only seen her once since his arrest, in the immediate aftermath of his detention when she followed him to the barracks where he was initially held.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Besides the chapel, they are a trolley station, a wing of barracks and the superintendent’s and governor’s residences.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

I spoke to sources who have worked in a defense capacity, and they said most likely this was human error—that it’s right next to a barracks and it could have been an error in combat.

From Slate • Mar. 3, 2026

I was permitted to stay in the same barracks as my father and brother.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson