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

This natural wonder in northeastern Arizona pairs towering red rock walls with ancient cliff dwellings tucked into stone. —Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 5 Mar. 2026

There are large multifamily dwellings here, too. —Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026

The dwelling, which sits on 900 acres of land, was built in the Georgian Neoclassical style between 1796 and 1798. —Elle Meier, InStyle, 3 Mar. 2026

There is a lot of change happening on the home front, encouraging you to remodel parts of your dwelling. —Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 2 Mar. 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.