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

Jamie befriends brothel pickpocket Fergus. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026

Surveillance photos corroborated in-person visits to the brothel in the 22200 block of Main Street that matched the text message dates and times, the declaration stated. —Jason Green, Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2026

In the 1830s, for example, thirty-four percent of brothels were within three blocks of a theater. —Betsy Golden Kellem, JSTOR Daily, 18 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

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