brothel

noun

broth·​el ˈbrä-thəl  ˈbrȯ- 

also -t͟həl

plural brothels

: a business establishment where sex workers are available for hire

For recreation, there were bars, after-hours joints, pool halls, strip joints, brothels, and transient motels.

—Darlene Nall

Elizaveta is happy to become the madam of a high-class brothel.

—Jonathan Fast

In the brutal red-light district of Chicago, at the dawn of the 20th century, most brothels emphasized "efficiency instead of fantasy."

—Ada Calhoun

Synonyms of brothel

• bordello
• stew
• crib
• cathouse

Examples of brothel in a Sentence

the district is infamous for its brothels and drug dealers

Recent Examples on the Web

In an effort to increase business, the upstairs storage room was converted into a brothel. —Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 12 June 2026

Kono’s statement acknowledging military coercion of women into front-line brothels paved the way for broader wartime remorse in 1995 and reshaped Japan’s relations with Asian neighbors. —Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026

Petal is a teenager, sold into prostitution in a Los Angeles brothel after she was shipped across the Pacific to San Francisco. —Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 10 June 2026

Polly Adler has worked long and hard to build up her high-class brothel business. —Danielle Parker, CBS News, 9 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, worthless fellow, prostitute, from brothen, past participle of brethen to waste away, go to ruin, from Old English brēothan to waste away; akin to Old English brēotan to break — more at brittle

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined above