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

Warren Beatty plays McCabe, a drifter and fast-talker who falls in with, and falls in love with, Mrs. Miller (Julie Christie), a madam who offers to improve business at his low-rent brothel. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 18 July 2025

Peter Wan, 42, of San Francisco, faces pimping and pandering charges for allegedly running a brothel on the 5300 block of Iron Horse Parkway. —Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 11 July 2025

After leaving the brothel, Prior offered to connect the teenager to a reputable employer, and the girl readily accepted. —Jenna Deep, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025

The charging documents allege that back in January 2024 — more than a year before he was charged — Wan was arrested on suspicion of running the Iron Horse Parkway brothel and confessed. —Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 11 July 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