dwelling
Americannoun
noun
Related Words
See house.
Other Word Forms
- multidwelling noun
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.
But despite offering a potential buyer the opportunity to test-drive the dwelling as a tenant, it appeared nobody took that bait as he later lowered both the rental and buying asking price.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
Carey, 57, purchased the expansive dwelling in June 1999, when she snapped up two separate units in the same building for a combined $9 million, before combining them into the stunning triplex that exists today.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
Hollywood actor Tate Donovan is parting ways with the beautiful Texas property he has owned for the last decade, listing the picturesque dwelling for just a hair under $1.7 million, Realtor.com can reveal.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
Property records show that the actor owns a three-bedroom Santa Monica dwelling that he purchased for $1.63 million in 2009—and which is located less than a mile from the beach.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
There is nothing like bad weather to reveal the shortcomings of a dwelling, particularly if it is too small.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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.
