cubicle

noun cu·bi·cle \ ˈkyü-bi-kəl \

Updated on: 11 Apr 2018

Definition of cubicle

1 : a sleeping compartment partitioned off from a large room

2 a : a small partitioned space; especially : one with a desk used for work in a business office

b : carrel

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Examples of cubicle in a Sentence

data entry clerks busily typing in cubicles

Recent Examples of cubicle from the Web

In Horrigan's chambers, a conference room was opened to create room for the cubicles, and a smaller conference room was created.

— jennifer conn, akron reporter, cleveland.com, "Akron City Hall gets partial makeover through Ohio Edison grant," 26 Mar. 2018
Computer programmer Thomas Anderson sits at his cubicle, contemplating the latest dressing down from his boss.

— ron amadeo, Ars Technica, "Nokia’s latest nostalgia-bait feature phone is the 8110 “Banana Phone”," 25 Feb. 2018
From his cubicle, Morris made an editing tweak on the halftime segment, Kitt-ENSYNC, spoofing halftime-performer Justin Timberlake's former band, 'N Sync.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "This man has one of the biggest jobs in television on Super Bowl Sunday. He runs the Puppy Bowl.," 4 Feb. 2018
From his cubicle, Morris made an editing tweak on the halftime segment, Kitt-ENSYNC, spoofing halftime-performer Justin Timberlake's former band, 'N Sync.

— Anchorage Daily News, "This man has one of the biggest jobs in television on Super Bowl Sunday. He runs the Puppy Bowl.," 3 Feb. 2018
Near the back, along the C wall close to the parapet, was a glass cubicle fifteen feet wide and fifteen feet deep, reinforced with wire mesh, that capped a double elevator shaft.

— sean flynn, Esquire, "The Perfect Fire," 9 Mar. 2017
But away from the spotlight, that same year, Sean John's long-serving president Jeffrey Tweedy was given a tight cubicle in the offices of Diddy's record company.

— cam wolf, GQ, ""He Was the Ultimate Creative Director": The Oral History of Sean John, Diddy's Game-Changing Clothing Label," 20 Mar. 2018
His office is in a narrow, cluttered cubicle in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, which occupies a building as charmless and functional as its name.

— jerry adler, Newsweek, "Stephen Hawking, Master of the Universe: Our 1988 Cover Story on the Legendary Physicist," 14 Mar. 2018
The big deals this week: crumbling cubicle walls, a crazy Miley fan and where to eat fish fry.

— sarah hauer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Be MKE: Where to eat fish fry, a hostel in Milwaukee and a crazy Miley Cyrus fan," 14 Feb. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of cubicle

Latin cubiculum, from cubare to lie, recline

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

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cubicle Synonyms

Synonyms

bay, cabin, cell, chamber, compartment, cube;

Related Words

cubbyhole, pigeonhole;

alcove, niche, nook, recess;

cabinet, drawer, locker;

cavity, hole, hollow;

booth, box, crib, loge, stall;

bunker, crypt, vault;

CUBICLE Defined for English Language Learners

cubicle

noun

Definition of cubicle for English Language Learners

: a work space in a large office with a desk that is usually surrounded by low walls
: a small space in a public room (such as a bathroom) that has walls for privacy