plural apartments
Synonyms of apartmentnext
1
: a room or set of rooms fitted especially with housekeeping facilities and usually leased as a dwelling
2
: a building containing several individual apartments
3
British : a large and impressive room or set of rooms
usually plural
Assured that the Queen and Prince Philip had retired to bed, Mr Hillyard tried to pass through the Royal apartments as the train left Aberdeen on its journey to London.Jonathan Petre

Examples of apartment in a Sentence

We lived in an apartment for several years before buying a house. a spacious six-room apartment that occupies the entire upper floor of a two-family house
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.
In all, the company has 788 new apartments in the pipeline, expecting to open at least 160 of them this winter. Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026 As my family gathered at my younger brother's apartment in downtown Philadelphia the next day, the mood was deeply heavy. Laurel Dalrymple, NPR, 6 Sep. 2026 That would make the construction of small apartment or condo buildings less expensive, helping developers fill Chicago’s empty lots with units that are also affordable, said Ald. Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026 Police said the sisters were sitting inside a black Toyota Camry, parked in an alley outside their apartment, when a gunman walked up and opened fire, striking both women. Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for apartment

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French appartement, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Italian appartamento, borrowed from Spanish apartamiento "withdrawal, remote spot, residence," from apartar "to separate, take aside" (reflexive, "to withdraw") (derivative of aparte "aside, apart entry 1") + -miento -ment

First Known Use

circa 1645, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of apartment was circa 1645

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Cite this Entry

“Apartment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apartment. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

1
: a room or set of rooms used as a dwelling
2
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