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

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

The modern, upscale building sleeps about 60 people in dormitory beds and private rooms, and even has a hot shower. —Scott Yorko, Travel + Leisure, 4 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