apartment

noun

apart·​ment ə-ˈpärt-mənt 

plural apartments

1

: a room or set of rooms fitted especially with housekeeping facilities and usually leased as a dwelling

2

: a building containing several individual apartments

3

British : a large and impressive room or set of rooms

—usually plural

Assured that the Queen and Prince Philip had retired to bed, Mr Hillyard tried to pass through the Royal apartments as the train left Aberdeen on its journey to London.

—Jonathan Petre

apartmental

ə-ˌpärt-ˈmen-tᵊl 

adjective

Synonyms of apartment

• penthouse
• lodgings
• condominium
• suite
• flat
• tenement
• condo

Examples of apartment in a Sentence

We lived in an apartment for several years before buying a house.

a spacious six-room apartment that occupies the entire upper floor of a two-family house

Recent Examples on the Web

The person of interest, who was not identified, was arrested at an apartment complex in Buffalo, New York, the New York Post reported. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 9 Dec. 2025

Coachmen, grooms, chauffeurs and other staff also live on site, in apartments near the carriage houses and stables. —Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 2025

But the 18-year-old's new one-bedroom apartment is a breath of fresh air. —Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 9 Dec. 2025

He was last known to reside at an apartment in the 2000 block of Vine Street on the edge of CUF and Mount Auburn, according to the coroner's office. —Staff Report, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French appartement, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Italian appartamento, borrowed from Spanish apartamiento "withdrawal, remote spot, residence," from apartar "to separate, take aside" (reflexive, "to withdraw") (derivative of aparte "aside, apart entry 1") + -miento -ment

First Known Use

circa 1645, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing apartment

• apartment building
• apartment hotel
• duplex apartment
• efficiency apartment
• garden apartment
• in-law apartment
• mother-in-law apartment
• studio apartment

Rhymes for apartment

• compartment
• departement
• department

Kids Definition

apartment

noun

apart·​ment ə-ˈpärt-mənt 

1

: a room or set of rooms used as a dwelling

2

: apartment building