as in apartments
a room or set of rooms in a private house or a block used as a separate dwelling place
an exhibit of pictures showing the tenements of the New York City neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen during the 1920s
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Recent Examples of tenements
No one wants to go back to the days of tenements and apartments with insufficient ventilation or light.
—
Michael Schill, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
The novel begins with a deadly fire that destroys two tenements.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
German Jews—my people—were far less numerous, most of them came to the United States earlier, and their typical first occupation was peddling, which entailed wandering through non-Jewish areas, not living in tenements.
—Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
The tenements featured in Marty Supreme of course replicated those from the 1950s.
—India Roby, Architectural Digest, 27 Feb. 2026
More than half a million residents live in NYCHA development plagued by chronic mold, broken elevators, and heating failures; others reside in subpar tenements run by crooked landlords.
—Darius Jones, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026
There’s a row of five-story buildings off Fifth Avenue in Park Slope that seem to fit the neighborhood standard for prewar, working-class tenements — a central staircase divvying up ten dark railroad apartments.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 2 Jan. 2026
The grotty tenements of the Lower East Side — and the distinct fashion within — is as much of a character in A24’s drama as the eponymous ping pong player himself.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 27 Dec. 2025
The streets, tenements, fire-escapes, the elders, and the urgent concerns of childhood—or, rather, the helpless intensity of anguish with which one watches one’s childhood disappear—are rendered very vividly indeed by Louise Meriwether, in her first novel, Daddy Was a Number Runner.
—Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025
Michael Schill, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
The novel begins with a deadly fire that destroys two tenements.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
German Jews—my people—were far less numerous, most of them came to the United States earlier, and their typical first occupation was peddling, which entailed wandering through non-Jewish areas, not living in tenements.
—Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
The tenements featured in Marty Supreme of course replicated those from the 1950s.
—India Roby, Architectural Digest, 27 Feb. 2026
More than half a million residents live in NYCHA development plagued by chronic mold, broken elevators, and heating failures; others reside in subpar tenements run by crooked landlords.
—Darius Jones, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026
There’s a row of five-story buildings off Fifth Avenue in Park Slope that seem to fit the neighborhood standard for prewar, working-class tenements — a central staircase divvying up ten dark railroad apartments.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 2 Jan. 2026
The grotty tenements of the Lower East Side — and the distinct fashion within — is as much of a character in A24’s drama as the eponymous ping pong player himself.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 27 Dec. 2025
The streets, tenements, fire-escapes, the elders, and the urgent concerns of childhood—or, rather, the helpless intensity of anguish with which one watches one’s childhood disappear—are rendered very vividly indeed by Louise Meriwether, in her first novel, Daddy Was a Number Runner.
—Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenements
Noun
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The first phase of Founder’s Square, including 70 apartments, was completed in the town center at 50 Broad St, McMahon said.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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South End South End is one of the city’s trendiest areas, known for its walkability, light rail access and mix of restaurants, breweries and modern apartments.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2026
Noun
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The Rooms Accommodations at The Nickel range from standard king guest rooms and 600-square-foot suites to two multi-bedroom penthouses designed for longer stays or group travel.—
Susmita Baral,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2026
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Late FirstBank founder Jim Ayers and wife Janet Ayers spent years combining three penthouses into a nearly 8,000-square-foot residence atop the city’s Viridian tower.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tenements.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenements. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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