dormitory

noun

dor·​mi·​to·​ry ˈdȯr-mə-ˌtȯr-ē 

plural dormitories

1

: a room for sleeping

especially : a large room containing numerous beds

2

: a residence hall providing rooms for individuals or for groups usually without private baths

3

chiefly British : a residential community inhabited chiefly by commuters

Examples of dormitory in a Sentence

Guests at the camp can stay in private cabins or for a smaller fee in the dormitories.

Recent Examples on the Web

The former University of Kentucky student who was seen on viral video unleashing a tirade of racial slurs against a Black student who was working at a dormitory front desk has been sentenced to a year in prison, a Fayette County Circuit Court clerk confirms to PEOPLE. —Kc Baker, People.com, 21 Oct. 2024

Several of them interviewed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel described their housing as a crowded, stifling hot dormitory plagued with insects. —Steven Martinez, Journal Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2024

But beyond that sparse field is a cluster of state-of-the-art labs, classrooms, and sleek dormitories with distinctive rammed-earth walls—the new campus of the 10-year-old African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID). —Byjon Cohen, science.org, 9 Aug. 2024

One of the hottest novelties that awaits is the Squid Game Pavilion in Lucca’s central Piazza San Michele, that will include a replica of the sterile Squid Game dormitory where a few lucky fans will be able to spend the night. —John Bleasdale, Variety, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin dormitorium, from dormire

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dormitory

• dormitory town

Kids Definition

dormitory

noun

dor·​mi·​to·​ry ˈdȯr-mə-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

plural dormitories

1

: a sleeping room especially for several people

2

: a residence hall having many sleeping rooms