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

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

Examples of abode in a Sentence

welcome to my humble abode

Recent Examples on the Web

Grasping at any hope, she’s asked devoted widower father Jake (John Adams) to drive her to this mystery woman’s abode in the Catskills, where a supernatural healing of some sort may or may not take place. —Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 July 2025

Just this week, Cary Grant’s former abode was listed for $78 million, and Paris Hilton plopped down $63 million to buy Mark Wahlberg’s massive estate last month. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 25 July 2025

The Emmy nominee and her husband, The One I Love director Charlie McDowell, have offloaded their midcentury modern Pasadena abode for $6.13 million, according to Mansion Global. —India Roby, Architectural Digest, 22 July 2025

Gothic revival This 10-bedroom, Gothic Revival-style abode in St. Matthews was built in 1853 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. —Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 17 July 2025

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