brownstone

American  

[broun-stohn] / ˈbraʊnˌstoʊn /

noun

1. a reddish-brown sandstone, used extensively as a building material.

2. Also called brownstone front.  a building, especially a row house, fronted with this stone.

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adjective

1. Archaic. belonging or pertaining to the well-to-do class.

brownstone British  

/ ˈbraʊnˌstəʊn /

noun

1. a reddish-brown iron-rich sandstone used for building

2. a house built of or faced with this stone

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Etymology

Origin of brownstone

First recorded in 1830–40; brown + stone

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

brownstone

Being able to afford a $700-per-month brownstone apartment in a highly sought-after neighborhood on a columnist’s salary.

From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026

Booth started up DFA in his Brooklyn Heights, N.Y., brownstone in 1981, after forays in indexing at Wells Fargo and A.G.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

A year ago, we rented the top three floors of a Brooklyn brownstone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026

The result was a far cry from the dilapidated state the Carroll Gardens brownstone had been in when Harbour and Allen purchased it.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 12, 2026

The brownstone stairs whimpered all the way up.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser