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

Some took place in dormitories on campus, examining quiet moments between friends or lovers—even these inward-looking stories weren’t spared bloodshed that year. —Literary Hub, 10 June 2026

The contractor cleaned the dormitories weekly rather than daily as required, resulting in unsanitary conditions. —Michael Biesecker, Fortune, 9 June 2026

Five women were attacked on the UCLA campus in the span of half an hour — four of them inside dormitories — and a man was arrested, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said. —Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 4 June 2026

The fire on May 28 ripped through the Utumishi Girls School dormitory that houses 202 students. —ABC News, 3 June 2026

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

Rhymes for dormitory

• allegory
• amatory
• auditory
• category
• clerestory
• crematory
• desultory
• dilatory
• excretory
• feudatory
• gustatory
• gyratory

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