condominium

American  

[kon-duh-min-ee-uhm] / ˌkɒn dəˈmɪn i əm /

noun

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

• mini-condominium noun

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

Unsold housing units reached record highs in 2025 in Canada’s seven largest urban markets, with condominium sales in greater Toronto fell to their lowest level in over four decades.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

When he bought his one-bedroom unit in a downtown Atlanta condominium, he went in with a budget of $1,600 per month, and paid $257,000 for the place.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 11, 2026

In fire-engineering terms, many nightclubs contain the fuel load of an entire residential condominium, the ignition sources of an industrial site, and the evacuation constraints of a submarine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 4, 2026

But - as Canada's condominium market sinks to lows not seen in decades due to a series of market pressures - the value of these micro units is cratering faster than any others.

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2026

He lives in a high-rise condominium on the beach in Florida.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg

Related Words

• apartment
• co-op
• condo
• townhouse