brothel

noun

broth·​el ˈbrä-thəl  ˈbrȯ- 

 also  -t͟həl

plural brothels

: a business establishment where sex workers are available for hire

For recreation, there were bars, after-hours joints, pool halls, strip joints, brothels, and transient motels.

—Darlene Nall

Elizaveta is happy to become the madam of a high-class brothel.

—Jonathan Fast

In the brutal red-light district of Chicago, at the dawn of the 20th century, most brothels emphasized "efficiency instead of fantasy."

—Ada Calhoun

Synonyms

• bagnio
• bawdy house
• bordello
• cathouse
• disorderly house
• sporting house
• stew
• whorehouse

Examples of brothel in a Sentence

the district is infamous for its brothels and drug dealers

Recent Examples on the Web

After returning to China in 1942 to find work to support her family, she was again forced to work in a military brothel ​for Japanese troops. —Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025

The setup is simple: Four teenage boys plan to lose their virginity by taking a road trip to a Nevada brothel. —Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 23 Dec. 2024

Over the last week, the NYPD has raided several brothels in the area. —Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 25 Oct. 2024

In her engaging, candid book, Leite recounts her experience working as a prostitute in the brothels of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and her eventual transformation into a social activist. —Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, worthless fellow, prostitute, from brothen, past participle of brethen to waste away, go to ruin, from Old English brēothan to waste away; akin to Old English brēotan to break — more at brittle

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined above