abode

noun

ə-ˈbōd 

1

: the place where one lives : home

were reluctant to leave their lifelong abode

Welcome to my humble abode.

2

: a temporary stay : sojourn

… if any such dares to continue his abode in a family where his coming was an unauthorized intrusion …

—Walter Scott

3

obsolete : wait, delay

Synonyms

• residence
• dwelling
• house
• home
• lodging
• roof
• place

Examples of abode in a Sentence

welcome to my humble abode

Recent Examples on the Web

Biles and Owens tied the knot in April 2023 and the Courage to Soar author started documenting the progress of their new abode on social media in September. —Natalia Senanayake, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025

On the other design end, Love & Liberty is newly renovated and minimalist for those who like a sleek abode. —Rana Good, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025

Through a succession of job changes, a don’t-open-the-mail approach to bill paying, abrupt moves to and from a string of increasingly cluttered abodes, Uhle recounts with humor and remarkable detail the unstable circumstances of her youth. —Kristen Kidd, Denver Post, 30 Aug. 2025

The single-story French Regency–style abode was built in 1935 and spanned about 2,100 square feet, with three bedrooms and four bathrooms. —Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 29 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English abade, abode, from bade, bode "stay, delay" (going back to Old English bād "expectation, period of waiting," probably going back to Germanic *baiđ-, noun derivative from the base of *bīđ- "wait, bide") crossed with abiden "to abide"

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing abode

• no fixed abode
• place of abode

Rhymes for abode

• anode
• barcode
• bestowed
• boatload
• borrowed
• carload
• caseload
• cathode
• commode
• corrode
• crossroad
• decode

Kids Definition

abode

noun

ə-ˈbōd 

: the place where one stays or lives

Legal Definition

abode

past and past participle of abide