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 2015, Odom made headlines after suffering a medical episode during a stay at a legal brothel in Nevada called Love Ranch. —CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026

Nonetheless, he is made king and often found eschewing his royal duties in favor of visiting brothels or hanging out with those who work for him. —Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026

Kelly then takes over the brothel, acquiring the nickname that provides the film’s title—but she and Wolfram are destined to meet again. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026

As Beatrice gets deeper into her investigation of Andrei, Twila begins investigating why so many women are missing from Moscow’s brothels. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Jan. 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