apartment

noun

apart·​ment ə-ˈpärt-mənt 

plural apartments

1

: a room or set of rooms fitted especially with housekeeping facilities and usually leased as a dwelling

2

: a building containing several individual apartments

3

British : a large and impressive room or set of rooms

—usually plural

Assured that the Queen and Prince Philip had retired to bed, Mr Hillyard tried to pass through the Royal apartments as the train left Aberdeen on its journey to London.

—Jonathan Petre

apartmental

ə-ˌpärt-ˈmen-tᵊl 

adjective

Synonyms of apartment

• penthouse
• lodgings
• condominium
• suite
• flat
• tenement
• condo

Examples of apartment in a Sentence

We lived in an apartment for several years before buying a house.

a spacious six-room apartment that occupies the entire upper floor of a two-family house

Recent Examples on the Web

An 18-year-old woman was bound and raped by a man inside his Queens apartment more than a year ago, and a suspect has now been arrested, police and law enforcement sources said Friday. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 26 Sep. 2026

An 18-year-old who lived at the same apartment complex has been charged with her murder. — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 26 Sep. 2026

Aylin spent several weeks cooped up in an apartment block in Bangui, the CAR capital, agonizing over her limited options. — Mick Krever, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026

With faux marble flooring already bringing plenty of movement to shopping producer Lauren Arzbaecher’s apartment, a more neutral rug felt like the natural choice. — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 26 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French appartement, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Italian appartamento, borrowed from Spanish apartamiento "withdrawal, remote spot, residence," from apartar "to separate, take aside" (reflexive, "to withdraw") (derivative of aparte "aside, apart entry 1") + -miento -ment

First Known Use

circa 1645, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing apartment

• apartment building
• apartment hotel
• duplex apartment
• efficiency apartment
• garden apartment
• in-law apartment
• mother-in-law apartment
• studio apartment

Rhymes for apartment

• compartment
• departement
• department

Kids Definition

apartment

noun

apart·​ment ə-ˈpärt-mənt 

1

: a room or set of rooms used as a dwelling

2

: apartment building