tiny house

noun

plural tiny houses
: a small house or mobile home that typically has a floor plan of less than 500 square feet and that is usually designed for ergonomics and space efficiency
The Joneses are one of thousands of families around the United States who have chosen to live in a tiny house in the last few years. For some families, it's about saving money. Others love having a house they can move anywhere, because some are actually built on trailers and can be towed with a car.The New York Times Magazine
Now, students and recent graduates of Northwestern University are building a home that takes the tiny house concept one step further: a 128-square foot house that is totally off the grid, equipped with solar panels for energy, a battery bank that can store power for times when no solar power is available, and a system for harvesting rain water.Rebecca J. Rosen
sometimes hyphenated when used before another noun
The rhetoric of modern tiny-house living begins with the assertion that big houses, aside from being wasteful and environmentally noxious, are debtors' prisons …Alec Wilkinson

Examples of tiny house 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.
Designing a tiny house for a couple is one thing, but creating a home on wheels for an entire family is another challenge entirely. Adam Williams may 04, New Atlas, 4 May 2026 Frustrated with work and the chaotic state of the world, Matt and Elaine Weyandt quit their jobs in 2012, and with a toddler and newborn in tow, rented a tiny house in Costa Rica’s jungle. Medora Lee, USA Today, 3 May 2026 The best tiny house rentals are a neat way to explore boundaries of space with a special someone or have an adventurous getaway on a budget. Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 1 May 2026 The cultural rise in tiny houses, some of them on wheels, inspired her to stake her own claim in the movement, which touts minimizing humans’ impact on the environment. Amancai Biraben, Oc Register, 18 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tiny house

Word History

First Known Use

1987, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tiny house was in 1987

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Cite this Entry

“Tiny house.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiny%20house. Accessed 9 May. 2026.

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