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

• 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

From there, they are forced to deal with an aging group of matriarchs (June Squibb, Annette O’Toole and Marceline Hugot) who covertly run the town—not to mention the cold and calculating brothel manager Enid (Margo Martindale). —Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025

The six-episode limited series fictionalizes the rise and fall of the sisters Arcángela and Serafina Baladro, who built an empire of brothels and became infamous for being the most ruthless and feared serial killers in the country. —Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025

The early empire and its challenges From the beginning, the Baladro sisters establish control over their brothels, which span many cities in Mexico through strict rules and systematic exploitation of the girls who work for them. —Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 10 Sep. 2025

In 2007, Undersheriff Carlos Bolanos and Sheriff Greg Munks were caught in a Las Vegas brothel. —Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2025

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