maisonette

noun

mai·​son·​ette ˌmā-zə-ˈnet How to pronounce maisonette (audio)
-sə-
1
: a small house
2
: an apartment often on two floors

Examples of maisonette in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The townhouse-condos are, in many ways, the descendants of maisonettes — the two- or three-story homes that were incorporated into the bottom floors of full-service prewar buildings and could be accessed from either the street or the lobby. Kim Velsey, Curbed, 30 June 2025 Ablaze with bougainvillea, studded with blonde maisonettes, bathed in sea light, Oinoussai in pictures is another belle in the wine-dark East Aegean. Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2024 Also of note last month: The three-story maisonette owned by Tina Brown, the author and journalist, and her journalist husband, Sir Harold M. Evans, officially closed, according to public records. Vivian Marino, New York Times, 29 June 2018 The other two units, which include a ground floor maisonette and a duplex on the third and fourth floors, are asking an estimated $14 million and $16 million, respectively, Ms. Muss said. Katherine Clarke, WSJ, 6 June 2018 The 2,500-square-foot apartment was originally the top floor of a maisonette that had been divided. Nancy Hass, ELLE Decor, 11 Oct. 2017 To keep a feeling of lightness in the dining area of a Palm Beach maisonette, designer Mimi McMakin put a glass top on wicker table bases. Sarah Yang, House Beautiful, 7 May 2014

Word History

Etymology

French maisonnette, from Old French, diminutive of maison house, from Latin mansion-, mansio dwelling place — more at mansion

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of maisonette was in 1785

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Maisonette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maisonette. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on maisonette

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!