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

Meanwhile, back at the schoolhouse’s original site, the university constructed a dormitory called Brown Hall on top of the historic foundation. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 June 2025

The Williamsburg Bray School was later transformed into a dormitory for some of the first women to attend college. —Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2025

Unrest among detainees led to one group tearing down a wall in a dormitory area, NJ.com reported. —Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025

At the Midnight Mission, fellows ate at the cafeteria that feeds hundreds a day, toured a dormitory, a soon-to-open women’s 12-step program and an education center with computers, books and musical instruments. —Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 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