dwelling

1 of 2

noun

dwell·​ing ˈdwe-liŋ 

: a shelter (such as a house) in which people live

dwelling

2 of 2

present participle of dwell

Synonyms of dwelling

Noun

• residence
• abode
• house
• roof
• lodging
• home
• housing

Examples of dwelling in a Sentence

Noun

the simple dwellings in which the Pilgrims spent the first winter at Plymouth

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

By 2024, RealPage controlled roughly 80 percent of the real estate revenue management market for multifamily dwellings and held the keys to datasets from approximately sixteen million rental units nationwide. — Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026

After a tumultuous childhood, Crawford’s adult life was filled with dwellings that offered some comfort and stability amid a personal life that was rife with difficulties, ranging from alcoholism to unhappy relationships. — Megan Johnson, Architectural Digest, 14 Oct. 2026

Located about 30 minutes south of his childhood neighborhood, Northridge, the dwelling is now being sold by a relative, Mansion Global reports. — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026

That’s the colloquial name for the Salkin House, an 1,100-square-foot dwelling perched on a hillside lot, built for violist Jules Salkin in 1948 by John Lautner, the famed midcentury modern architect. — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

see dwell

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing dwelling

• dwelling place
• lake dwelling
• two-family house/dwelling

Rhymes for dwelling

• belling
• celling
• fehling
• felling
• gelling
• pelling
• quelling
• selling
• shelling
• smelling
• spelling
• swelling

Kids Definition

dwelling

noun

dwell·​ing

ˈdwel-iŋ

: a shelter in which people live : house

Legal Definition

dwelling

noun

dwell·​ing

: a structure where a person lives and especially sleeps

called also dwelling house

see also burglary

Note: Courts disagree as to how permanent or consistent the habitation of a structure must be in order for it to be considered a dwelling, but most courts agree that a dwelling includes its curtilage.