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

The building later became a dormitory for The New School, until hotelier Sean MacPherson—the creative force behind the Ludlow Hotel and Hotel Chelsea—transformed it into a hotel once again in 2012. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Mar. 2026

The facility is expected to provide about 100 beds across cells and dormitory-like areas. —Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026

In close-contact settings, such as households, schools, sports teams and college dormitories, transmission can occur relatively quickly. —Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026

Students in 16 units in a dormitory building at San Diego State University were displaced Tuesday night after a lithium-ion battery overheated, a San Diego fire official said. —Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026

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