dwelling
Americannoun
noun
Synonym Usage
See house.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of dwelling
Explanation
A dwelling is a home — where someone lives. Houses, apartments, and condos are all dwellings. If you know that to dwell means to live somewhere, then the meaning of dwelling won't be a surprise: it's an abode, domicile, or home. Your dwelling might be a house or an apartment. Tents, trailers, and igloos are all dwellings. Anything people live in is a dwelling. If you have no dwelling, then you have no shelter and you're probably homeless.
Vocabulary lists containing dwelling
Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
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There's No Word Like Home
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "D"
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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.
States and cities are rethinking zoning laws, allowing accessory dwelling units and overriding local rules near public transit.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026
Derbyshire Dales District Council said Helen Lowe, of North Park Farm, Whitworth Road, Darley Dale, built the dwelling, which was "deliberately concealed to avoid detection" and did not have planning permission.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
Her story covers the breadth of her life, dwelling especially on her youth in the 1930s among migrant fruit pickers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
Lowe claimed she "did not ignore" the enforcement order, adding the dwelling was "not a luxury pad".
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
He dominated even Iofur Raknison, arguing forcefully and eloquently, and persuaded the bear-king to let him choose his own dwelling place.
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
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.
