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.
As for their U.K. dwelling, the British actors are said to use the property as their primary residence, having moved into the home together not long after they wed in 2011.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
The dwelling offers exclusive access to “one of the most private and coveted beaches in Malibu,” as well as spectacular views of the ocean courtesy of its perch atop a cliffside.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
To maximize privacy, the primary suite, which includes a beautiful bathroom with its own enormous soaking tub, is located in its own “quiet wing” of the dwelling, along with a private office.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
In theory, should a buyer wish to create a much larger waterfront dwelling, they could scoop up both properties, which would given them a parcel totaling around 0.3 acres.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
Have I not described a pleasant site for a dwelling, when I speak of it as bosomed in hill and wood, and rising from the verge of a stream?
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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.
