hamlet

1 of 2

noun (1)

ham·​let ˈham-lət 

: a small village

Hamlet

2 of 2

noun (2)

Ham·​let ˈham-lət 

: a legendary Danish prince and hero of Shakespeare's play Hamlet

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• village

Examples of hamlet in a Sentence

Noun (1)

she always longed to return to the quiet hamlet where she had been born

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Colonial on nearly an acre of land and lean into the hamlet life by starting your own beekeeping operation. —Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 21 Aug. 2025

For two days in August, this small hamlet south of Buffalo becomes a can't-miss destination for fans of a distinctively agricultural motorsport: the tractor pull. —Zach Jaworski, NPR, 18 Aug. 2025

Some residents of the Oxfordshire hamlet were upset by Vance choosing their region to spend some downtime. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2025

On Tuesday, July 22, an ultralight airplane piloted by 75-year-old Sergio Ravaglia crashed onto the pavement of Corda Molle in a hamlet in Azzano Mella, Brescia, before bursting into flames. —Sam Gillette, People.com, 25 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French hamelet, diminutive of ham village, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English hām village, home

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1601, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

hamlet

noun

ham·​let ˈham-lət 

: a small village