housing

1 of 2

noun (1)

hous·​ing ˈhau̇-ziŋ 

1

a

: shelter, lodging

b

: dwellings provided for people

2

a

: a niche for a sculpture

b

: the space taken out of a structural member (such as a timber) to admit the insertion of part of another

3

: something that covers or protects: such as

a

: a case or enclosure (as for a mechanical part or an instrument)

b

: a casing (such as an enclosed bearing) in which a shaft revolves

c

: a support (such as a frame) for mechanical parts

housing

2 of 2

noun (2)

: caparison sense 1

Synonyms of housing

Noun (1)

• casing
• sheath
• covering
• case
• cover

Examples of housing in a Sentence

Noun (1)

a camera with a waterproof housing for taking pictures of coral reefs and other underwater features

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

During the panel, candidates were in broad agreement about the need to reduce barriers and costs in order to build more housing in California, where the median single-family home costs more than $820,000. —Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026

Home-building robots could help fix the housing crisis A UK tech company says its portable micro-factories can produce the wooden frame of a house in just one day. —Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026

The sturdy plastic housings resist fading and cracking and are brown in color to blend with most outdoor surfaces. —Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2026

Community members in favor of Measure V cite the numerous obstacles standing in the way of affordable housing and say they’re frustrated by the glacial pace of development in town. —Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 5 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

Middle English, from house housing (from Anglo-French huce, houce, of Germanic origin) + -ing; akin to Middle High German hulft covering

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing housing

• housing development
• housing estate
• housing project
• housing starts
• housing stock
• low-income housing
• social housing

Rhymes for housing

• browsing
• rehousing
• rousing
• arousing
• carousing
• espousing
• warehousing

Kids Definition

housing

1 of 2 noun

hous·​ing

ˈhau̇-ziŋ

1

a

: the shelter of a temporary or permanent structure (as a tent or house) : lodging

b

: dwellings provided for people

housing for the elderly

2

a

: something that covers or protects

b

: a support (as a frame) for mechanical parts

housing

2 of 2 noun

: caparison sense 1