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.
Still, the Mediterranean-style mansion is now the most expensive dwelling on the market in Greenwich, where the second-priciest home is listed for less than half the amount Kathie is asking for her 2.9-acre property.
From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026
At an annual tennis invitational and white party at a billionaire’s Beverly Hills mansion last weekend, the reality TV villain and mayoral hopeful marveled at his potential path to victory.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
Drake turns the frigid, isolated mansion rap that’s become his trademark toward relitigating the last half-decade of petty squabbles and minor slights.
From Salon • May 21, 2026
Alex said Ferguson was a regular visitor to vVoosh HQ, and that Fernandez claimed to be a regular visitor to Royal Lodge, the 30-room Windsor mansion where Ferguson lived with her former husband Andrew.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
If anyone thought I’d be reluctant to move out of the mansion on the hill and into student housing, they’d be wrong.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
