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

Suno and others have targeted use cases, such as patients in hospice care using Suno to leave songs behind for loved ones, or therapists helping teens navigate mental health challenges through music creation. —Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 9 June 2026

The son, also named Robert Coles, told The Associated Press that his father died Thursday at a hospice center in Lincoln, Massachusetts. —ABC News, 7 June 2026

The analysis revealed that over 700 of the roughly 1,800 hospices in Los Angeles County trigger multiple red flags for fraud as defined by the state. —Laura Geller, CBS News, 4 June 2026

Someone just did a speech about cancer — MORGAN Or hospice. —Lacey Rose, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 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