abode

noun

ə-ˈbōd 

1

: the place where one lives : home

were reluctant to leave their lifelong abode

Welcome to my humble abode.

2

: a temporary stay : sojourn

… if any such dares to continue his abode in a family where his coming was an unauthorized intrusion …

—Walter Scott

3

obsolete : wait, delay

Synonyms of abode

• residence
• dwelling
• house
• home
• lodging
• roof
• place

Examples of abode in a Sentence

welcome to my humble abode

Recent Examples on the Web

From February 26, British dual citizens have been required to demonstrate their right of abode before traveling to the United Kingdom or carrying a British passport, which costs approximately £100 (or more than $130) to obtain. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026

Cattle, deer and other large herbivores disturb the abodes of bacteria. —Hannah Kinzer, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026

The Sinatras spent three years at the humble abode and may have been the first residents to occupy the dwelling as the house was built in 1941. —Michelle Duncan, Architectural Digest, 24 Mar. 2026

Working with the firm Faulkner Architects, the homeowners ended up with a contemporary, angular abode that cuts a striking silhouette among the nearby rolling hills. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English abade, abode, from bade, bode "stay, delay" (going back to Old English bād "expectation, period of waiting," probably going back to Germanic *baiđ-, noun derivative from the base of *bīđ- "wait, bide") crossed with abiden "to abide"

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing abode

• no fixed abode
• place of abode

Rhymes for abode

• anode
• barcode
• bestowed
• boatload
• borrowed
• carload
• caseload
• cathode
• commode
• corrode
• crossroad
• decode

Kids Definition

abode

noun

ə-ˈbōd 

: the place where one stays or lives

Legal Definition

abode

past and past participle of abide