motel

noun

mo·​tel mō-ˈtel 

: 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

Tucked into what was once a divey motel and is now the rehabbed Best Bet Motor Lodge, the Reno Sauna Club is an oasis of cool. — Winston Ross, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

The nonprofit previously settled a $3 million lawsuit with California Attorney General Rob Bonta over more than $100 million in state Project Homekey funds for motel conversions that were never built. — Ruyuan Li. Summary Produced By Ai Assistance, Sacbee.com, 30 July 2026

Outside are cactus, mountain views and the thrum of cars heading to the many motels that line the Coachella Valley’s busiest thoroughfare. — Usa Today Network, USA Today, 29 July 2026

Citywide, Inside Safe has moved more than 6,000 people into hotels, motels and other types of interim housing since Bass took office in December 2022. — Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

blend of motor and hotel

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for motel

• barbell
• bedwell
• befell
• bluebell
• bombshell
• bridewell
• capelle
• cartel
• carvel
• clamshell
• cogswell
• compel

Kids Definition

motel

noun

mo·​tel mō-ˈtel 

: a building or group of buildings which provide lodgings and in which the rooms are usually reached directly from an outdoor parking lot