hospice

noun

hos·​pice ˈhä-spəs 

1

: a lodging for travelers, young persons, or the underprivileged especially when maintained by a religious order

2

: a program designed to provide palliative care and emotional support to the terminally ill in a home or homelike setting so that quality of life is maintained and family members may be active participants in care

also : a facility that provides such a program

Synonyms of hospice

• hotel
• hostel
• tavern

Examples of hospice in a Sentence

She chose to go to a hospice instead of a hospital.

the monks run a hospice for travelers in their mountain retreat

Recent Examples on the Web

In one instance, defendants were charged with stealing more than $140 million by falsely certifying non-terminally ill patients for hospice care. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026

The Princess of Wales brought back the black leather style on Thursday for a visit to The Treehouse children’s hospice in Ipswich, England, less than a month after wearing the same pair to a rugby engagement in Leeds. — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026

One of his quilts was raffled off at the Angola Prison Rodeo, a biannual public event, and raised $30,000 for the hospice program. — Sea Stachura, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026

Shirley has since visited other states in the US under similar pretenses, showing up unannounced to grocery stores and hospice centers in search of evidence of fraud. — Mia Sato, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, going back to Middle French hospise, borrowed from Medieval Latin hospitium "hospitality, lodgings, monastic guesthouse, shelter maintained by a religious order for the poor and infirm," going back to Latin,"accommodation of guests, hired lodgings," from hospit-, hospes "guest, host" + -ium, denominal suffix of function or occupation — more at host entry 1

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

hospice

noun

hos·​pice ˈhäs-pəs 

1

: an inn for travelers

especially : one kept by a religious order

2

: a place or program for caring for dying persons

Medical Definition

hospice

noun

hos·​pice ˈhäs-pəs 

: a facility or program designed to provide palliative care and emotional support to the terminally ill in a home or homelike setting so that quality of life is maintained and family members may be active participants in care