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Synonyms

youth hostel

American  

noun

  1. hostel.

youth hostel British  

noun

  1. Often shortened to: hostel.  one of a chain of inexpensive lodging places for young people travelling cheaply

"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 youth hostel

First recorded in 1935–40

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.

Marshall’s plans to demolish a former youth hostel built during the Art Deco period to make way for a sports field was blocked by the Historic Preservation Board, which mandated he preserve the building’s facade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

For 60 years from 1945 the castle was a youth hostel, but during World War Two it had served as a sanctuary for members of the Norwegian royal family after Nazi Germany's invasion of Norway.

From BBC • Aug. 25, 2023

The great social experiment of bunking in a youth hostel is forever worthwhile, even for families.

From New York Times • Mar. 27, 2023

Luxembourg City’s youth hostel, which is just one of more than 3,000 locations within the Hostelling International network, was extensive.

From Washington Post • Aug. 25, 2022

Before that she had been staying at a youth hostel.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

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.