dwelling

noun

dwell·​ing ˈdwe-liŋ 

: a shelter (such as a house) in which people live

Synonyms of dwelling

• residence
• abode
• house
• roof
• lodging
• home
• housing

Examples of dwelling in a Sentence

the simple dwellings in which the Pilgrims spent the first winter at Plymouth

Recent Examples on the Web

Office buildings are designed with very different considerations than apartment dwellings. — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 8 July 2026

The closure includes the entire Wetherill Mesa Road and the Long House and Step House cliff dwellings, park officials said. — Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 7 July 2026

The duo’s new dwelling is located in a curvy condominium, a collaboration between hotelier and Studio 54 co-founder Ian Schrager and Pritzker Prize–winning architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron. — Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 6 July 2026

Future building potential also exists for another two dwellings. — Nielsen Dinwoodie, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

see dwell

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing dwelling

• dwelling place
• lake dwelling
• two-family house/dwelling

Rhymes for dwelling

• belling
• celling
• fehling
• felling
• gelling
• pelling
• quelling
• selling
• shelling
• smelling
• spelling
• swelling

Kids Definition

dwelling

noun

dwell·​ing

ˈdwel-iŋ

: a shelter in which people live : house

Legal Definition

dwelling

noun

dwell·​ing

: a structure where a person lives and especially sleeps

called also dwelling house

see also burglary

Note: Courts disagree as to how permanent or consistent the habitation of a structure must be in order for it to be considered a dwelling, but most courts agree that a dwelling includes its curtilage.