Definition of COMMODIOUS

Choose the Right Synonym for commodious

spacious, commodious, capacious, ample mean larger in extent or capacity than the average. spacious implies great length and breadth. a spacious front lawn commodious stresses roominess and comfortableness. a commodious and airy penthouse apartment capacious stresses the ability to hold, contain, or retain more than the average. a capacious suitcase ample implies having a greater size, expanse, or amount than that deemed adequate. ample closet space

Did You Know?

Although it's now used to mean "roomy," in the 18th century "commodious" was regularly used to mean "handy" or "serviceable," a meaning that is true to the word's Latin ancestor, commodum, meaning "convenience." Poet William Cowper used the word in that original sense in a letter referring to a vessel that served double duty, carrying mackerel and herring from a seaside town to London, then making the return trip carrying passengers. As Cowper observed, "The cheapness of the conveyance made it equally commodious for dead fish and lively company." (No doubt the arriving passengers had a lively smell, which may be one reason why Cowper also noted that some visitors to the seaside town were company whom "people who were nice in the choice of their company, were rather fearful of keeping company with.")

Examples of commodious in a Sentence

a house with exceptionally commodious closets

Recent Examples on the Web First lady Eleanor Roosevelt, a member of the DAR, was outraged by their action, resigned and asked Washington officials to find an appropriately grand and commodious place for Anderson to perform. — Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, "A stain on the Lincoln Memorial," 6 June 2019 Gastrobar is a homey retreat for muhammara and pumpkin soup, and the commodious Black Rabbit, which nods to Scandinavia with its abundance of light wood and greenery, serves a delectable eggplant caviar with goat cheese mousse. — Alia Akkam, Vogue, "Why Moldova Is a Wine Destination Worth Knowing Now," 27 Sep. 2018 The Regal Sportback’s cargo area is commodious, offering 32 cubic feet of storage with the rear seats up and 61 with them folded. — Davey G. Johnson, Car and Driver, "2018 Buick Regal GS," 23 Feb. 2018 Cunard provided commodious, but not lavish, services at much lower cost. — Charles R. Morris, WSJ, "The Race Across the Water," 7 Aug. 2017 The new Crawford block is going up fast and will be one of the most substantial and commodious buildings in Crown Point when completed The Bloede addition to the Main street garage will be ready for occupancy as soon as the cement floor is finished. — Kitty Conley, Post-Tribune, "Lake County Star Newspaper Almanac," 31 July 2017 Its commodious rear-seat legroom comes within a few tenths of an inch of larger mid-size sedans such as the Honda Accord, the Mazda 6, and the Toyota Camry. — Annie White, Car and Driver, "2017 Volkswagen Jetta," 25 July 2017 What started as a shack the size of a snowball stand in 2014 reopened last December as a more commodious building that still qualifies as a stand. — Brett Anderson, NOLA.com, "Top 10 barbecue restaurants in New Orleans," 22 May 2017 In 2011, Kentucky native Larry Wyatt moved his operation into a markedly more commodious space attached to a Harahan bar. — Brett Anderson, NOLA.com, "Top 10 barbecue restaurants in New Orleans," 22 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'commodious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Learn More about commodious

Listen to Our Podcast about commodious

Dictionary Entries near commodious

Statistics for commodious

Cite this Entry

“Commodious.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commodious. Accessed 21 January 2020.