maisonette

American  

[mey-zuh-net] / ˌmeɪ zəˈnɛt /

Or maisonnette

noun

1. a small house, especially one connected to a large apartment building.

2. an apartment, usually of two floors connected by an internal staircase; duplex apartment.

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maisonette British  

/ ˌmeɪzəˈnɛt /

noun

1. self-contained living accommodation often occupying two floors of a larger house and having its own outside entrance

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Etymology

Origin of maisonette

1810–20; < French, Old French, equivalent to maison house ( see mansion) + -ette -ette

Example Sentences

The split is lamented by older members of the Kikuyu community, like 100-year-old Nduhiu Njama, who welcomed us to his maisonette in Nyeri's Tetu area.

From BBC • Aug. 1, 2022

The rear and front concrete façades, concrete door casements and exterior decking will all be preserved, as will the interior maisonette.

From Economist • Nov. 14, 2017

And it is that rare apartment that has two entrances, one of which opens onto Broadway, like a private maisonette.

From New York Times • Oct. 13, 2017

Their emergency accommodation, in Preston Drove, was a Victorian maisonette among the neat rows of suburban terracing near Preston Park.

From The Guardian • Mar. 31, 2016

Down the block, she climbs over the burning ruins of her home, a small maisonette on the corner.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda