mansion
Americannoun
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a very large, impressive, or stately residence.
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British. Often mansions. a large building with many apartments; apartment house.
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Oriental and Medieval Astronomy. each of 28 divisions of the ecliptic occupied by the moon on successive days.
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Archaic. an abode or dwelling place.
noun
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Also called: mansion house. a large and imposing house
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a less common word for manor house
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archaic any residence
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(plural) a block of flats
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astrology any of 28 divisions of the zodiac each occupied on successive days by the moon
Etymology
Origin of mansion
1325–75; Middle English < Latin mānsiōn- (stem of mānsiō ) an abiding, abode. See manse, -ion
Explanation
A mansion is a huge, fancy house. Some mansions are eventually turned into museums where you can get a look at an old wealthy family's art and furniture collections. It takes a lot of money and a staff of workers to live in and take care of a mansion. Historically, post-fifteenth century European noblemen lived in mansions that became the typical style of home for aristocrats who no longer required the safety of fortified castles. The word mansion comes from the Latin root mansionem, "a staying or a remaining," from the stem manere, "to stay."
Vocabulary lists containing mansion
American Street
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Dame Maggie Smith (1934–2024) Tribute List
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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.
Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger have once again taken their enormous Pacific Palisades mansion off the market—nearly three years after the dwelling was listed for the sky-high price of $32 million.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026
Ansari’s real-estate portfolio in the British capital includes a North London mansion that U.K. property records show cost him £33.7 million in December 2014.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Another video shows Kid Rock pumping his fist before a second gunship appears to fly by his mansion, which he has dubbed the Southern White House.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
Earlier this month, “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Rachel Zoe’s Bel-Air mansion was broken into while she was out of town.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
In 1949, our second year at Tazewell, our family moved out of the home we’d been living in and into a two-room suite in a mansion once owned by a very wealthy White family.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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.
