villa
noun
a country residence or estate.
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vilwa.
villa
1 American
[vil-uh]
/ ˈvɪl ə /
noun
-
villas
plural
-
a country residence or estate.
-
any imposing or pretentious residence, especially one in the country or suburbs maintained as a retreat by a wealthy person.
-
British. a detached or semidetached dwelling house, usually suburban.
Villa
2
American
[vee-uh, vee-yah]
/ ˈvi ə, ˈvi jɑ /
noun
villa
1
British
/ ˈvɪlə /
noun
-
(in ancient Rome) a country house, usually consisting of farm buildings and residential quarters around a courtyard
-
a large and usually luxurious country residence
-
a detached or semidetached suburban house
-
a medium-sized suburban house standing in its own grounds
Villa
2
British
/ ˈviːə, ˈbiʎa /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of villa
1605–15; (< Italian ) < Latin vīlla a country house, farm, akin to vīcus village, wick 3
Explanation
If you don't want to sound like a snob, don't describe your family's house in the country as a villa. A villa is a fancy vacation home. Calling your weekend country house a villa will inevitably sound like you're showing off. Still, the word has been around ever since ancient Roman times to mean "country house for the elite." In Italian, villa means "country house or farm." Most villas include a large amount of land and often barns, garages, or other outbuildings as well.
Vocabulary lists containing villa
Ancient Rome - Introductory
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Ancient Rome - Middle School and High School
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The Roman Republic, Lessons 3–4
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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.
See Examples For:
At the scene of the second strike, an AFP correspondent saw the ruins of a devastated villa, with large decorative columns laying on their side next to stairs littered with rubble.
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
He later outfitted his island escape with a Balinese-style villa and bungalows, creating a private getaway worthy of a Hollywood mogul.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
"With durian, I bought a car, houses for my children and built a villa for my family," he said, his affluence evident around him.
From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026
A waiter at the Montecristo was also prosecuted, as was the owner of the agency which rents out the villa.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
This led to the servants’ quarters at the back of the villa.
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
After sweeping aside Coventry on the opening day of the season, they produced a mature performance to come away with all three points at Villa.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
"This is a great result for us," Jakirovic said after his side threatened to claim all three points in the closing stages against Villa at MKM Stadium.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
Villa increased their valuation to £120m and ultimately Chelsea ended up signing the attacker for £117m.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
They smashed Aston Villa on the opening weekend but then lost to Chelsea despite dominating possession in what was a really strange game.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
“At the Villa Rossa. It was very edifying, baby. We all sang. Where have you been?”
From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway
Plans for the property have included resort bungalows and private estate villas, as well as environmentally focused features such as solar power.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
In May, he unveiled Sublime Sand, a village-like extension across the road, this time with 43 villas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
French-style villas stand to be bulldozed, along with modest Hanoi-style "tube" houses and densely packed low-rises.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
They stay in hotels on the beach and villas in the surrounding countryside, and walk through the small shops and restaurants, looking for parties where they can network and be seen.
From Salon ● May 22, 2026
‘It’s one of the best-preserved villas in Pompeii. They call it the House of the Faun.’
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
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.
