multifamily

American  

[muhl-tee-fam-uh-lee, -fam-lee, muhl-tahy-] / ˌmʌl tiˈfæm ə li, -ˈfæm li, ˌmʌl taɪ- /

adjective

1. designed or suitable for the use of several or many families.

   multifamily apartment buildings.

---

Etymology

Origin of multifamily

multi- + family

Example Sentences

Residential investment growth—which includes new single-family and multifamily construction, renovations, manufactured-home production, and brokers’ fees—is expected to decline outright for the first quarter.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Our New York home does not have a mortgage and is a multifamily dwelling.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

Giant multifamily firms are taking over more New York City apartments while mom-and-pop landlords struggle to stay afloat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

In July, the governor committed $101 million to help rebuilding efforts of “affordable multifamily rental housing in the fire-devastated Los Angeles region.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

As we get closer to town we pass multifamily dwellings and some outlying businesses—a gas station, a corner shop, a nursery stocked with flowers the colors of autumn leaves: rust and gold and crimson.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline