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orphanage

American  
[awr-fuh-nij] / ˈɔr fə nɪdʒ /

noun

  1. an institution for the housing and care of orphans.

  2. the state of being an orphan; orphanhood.

  3. Archaic. orphans collectively.

orphanage British  
/ ˈɔːfənɪdʒ /

noun

  1. an institution for orphans and abandoned children

  2. the state of being an orphan

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of orphanage

First recorded in 1530–40; orphan + -age

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.

Back in George Allan's organ orphanage, there is hope something might be done.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

Since her deportation in August, Soumah said she has been allowed two short video calls to see Sabina, who is being kept in a Minsk orphanage.

From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026

While Pope Leo spent two decades as a missionary in Peru, Hicks worked at an orphanage in El Salvador from 2005 to 2010, according to a biography released by the New York archdiocese.

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025

Falling debris from the destroyed Atacms on Tuesday damaged the roofs of a clinic and an orphanage and struck a private house in Voronezh, Russia said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025

The cabin door opened and a group of kids Magdalys recognized from the orphanage poured out, looking stunned.

From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older

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.