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

Its skyline is dominated by corporate high-rises, business hotels, and diplomatic dwellings—the US ambassador's house is a few minutes away. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Mar. 2026

Diego Alejandro Escobar Ortega, 37, is now facing a charge of burglary of an unoccupied dwelling. —Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026

Let’s save the dwelling on the negative for small groups, like Emma and Mark being British effusive in a room with more guilt than Saddam Hussein’s summer retreat. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026

After a fire destroyed the top floor of the prewar dwelling in 2022, the vacant and gutted structure hit the market the following year for the first time in over five decades. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 20 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.