brothel

noun

broth·​el ˈbrä-thəl  ˈbrȯ- 

also -t͟həl

plural brothels

: a business establishment where sex workers are available for hire

For recreation, there were bars, after-hours joints, pool halls, strip joints, brothels, and transient motels.

—Darlene Nall

Elizaveta is happy to become the madam of a high-class brothel.

—Jonathan Fast

In the brutal red-light district of Chicago, at the dawn of the 20th century, most brothels emphasized "efficiency instead of fantasy."

—Ada Calhoun

Synonyms of brothel

• bordello
• stew
• crib
• cathouse

Examples of brothel in a Sentence

the district is infamous for its brothels and drug dealers

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2007, then-Undersheriff Carlos Bolanos and Sheriff Greg Munks were caught in a Las Vegas brothel. —Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2026

Khloé’s then husband, Lamar Odom, spiraled into drug abuse, was found unconscious at a Nevada brothel called Love Ranch, and suffered 12 strokes and six heart attacks while in an extended coma. —Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026

The building was built in 1874 as Brackett Brothers Drug Store and became a brothel years later. —Jenna Thompson march 10, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026

The only additional information we, and Claire and Jamie, get is how Fanny and Jane wound up being kidnapped and taken to the brothel where William found them. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, worthless fellow, prostitute, from brothen, past participle of brethen to waste away, go to ruin, from Old English brēothan to waste away; akin to Old English brēotan to break — more at brittle

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined above