motel

noun

mo·​tel mō-ˈtel How to pronounce motel (audio)
: an establishment which provides lodging and parking and in which the rooms are usually accessible from an outdoor parking area

Examples of motel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The two men had been involved in an altercation at a local motel when officers detained them and called in Border Patrol. Amanda Castro billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025 Investigators took several electronics from the motel for forensic analysis, the police department said. Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 2 July 2025 Her body was discovered Jan. 29, 2007, in a motel parking lot in Suwanee, about 30 miles northeast of Atlanta. Tim Evans, IndyStar, 2 July 2025 So when Swaggart was spotted outside a seedy motel near New Orleans, someone tipped off Gorman. Frank E. Lockwood, Arkansas Online, 1 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for motel

Word History

Etymology

blend of motor and hotel

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of motel was in 1925

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Cite this Entry

“Motel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motel. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

motel

noun
mo·​tel mō-ˈtel How to pronounce motel (audio)
: a building or group of buildings which provide lodgings and in which the rooms are usually reached directly from an outdoor parking lot

More from Merriam-Webster on motel

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