roommate

American  

[room-meyt, room-] / ˈrumˌmeɪt, ˈrʊm- /

noun

1. a person who is assigned to share or shares a room or apartment with another or others.

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roommate British  

/ ˈruːmˌmeɪt, ˈrʊm- /

noun

1. a person with whom one shares a room or lodging

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Etymology

Origin of roommate

An Americanism dating back to 1780–90; room + mate ¹

Explanation

Someone who shares a dorm room or an apartment with you is your roommate. Even if you live in a big house, the people who share it with you — and split the rent — are your roommates. If you live in a dormitory when you go to college, you'll probably have at least one roommate, and even after college it's common to share an apartment or house with roommates. You can call the campers in your cabin at summer camp roommates, though you could also call them cabin mates. The word roommate was a late eighteenth century American English invention.

Example Sentences

That’s what Auf der Maur’s roommate told her the night she came home after thinking that she had offered a sincere but thoughtful declination to the suggestion that she become the bass player in Hole.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

Instead, the Upper East Sider got paired with a roommate from lower Manhattan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

“He was a random roommate and we never had a conversation with him once,” Hopper told The Times in an interview.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026

Among those who reacted to Van Der Beek's death was his Dawson's Creek co-star Busy Philipps, who played a university roommate of Joey Potter, portrayed by Katie Holmes.

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026

“No, sir. No. I’ve always done my job quietly, without complaint. It’s just, Mr. Lewin, sir. I wanted to write an article to bring attention to my roommate Yakov’s death, and he stole my idea!”

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Related Words

• friend
• mate