dormitory

noun

dor·​mi·​to·​ry ˈdȯr-mə-ˌtȯr-ē 

plural dormitories

1

: a room for sleeping

especially : a large room containing numerous beds

2

: a residence hall providing rooms for individuals or for groups usually without private baths

3

chiefly British : a residential community inhabited chiefly by commuters

Examples of dormitory in a Sentence

Guests at the camp can stay in private cabins or for a smaller fee in the dormitories.

Recent Examples on the Web

It’s broken down into the runway misadventures from each of his 12 shows, offers 11 irreverent Rules of Design, and is a lesson on how to turn a dormitory dream into a global brand. —Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025

Kurt later found his son in a dormitory in Austria. —Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 9 Oct. 2025

The alert also instructs any residents of Hugine Suites, who are not currently in the dormitory, to report to Smith–Hammond–Middleton Memorial Center, an Orangeburg arena. —Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025

The first shooting happened on campus near the Hugine Suites, a student dormitory, triggering a campuswide lockdown, according to a statement from the university’s media relations department. —Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin dormitorium, from dormire

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dormitory

• dormitory town

Rhymes for dormitory

• allegory
• amatory
• auditory
• category
• clerestory
• crematory
• desultory
• dilatory
• excretory
• extempore
• feudatory
• gustatory

Kids Definition

dormitory

noun

dor·​mi·​to·​ry ˈdȯr-mə-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

plural dormitories

1

: a sleeping room especially for several people

2

: a residence hall having many sleeping rooms