dormitory

noun

dor·​mi·​to·​ry ˈdȯr-mə-ˌtȯr-ē 

plural dormitories

1

: a room for sleeping

especially : a large room containing numerous beds

2

: a residence hall providing rooms for individuals or for groups usually without private baths

3

chiefly British : a residential community inhabited chiefly by commuters

Examples of dormitory in a Sentence

Guests at the camp can stay in private cabins or for a smaller fee in the dormitories.

Recent Examples on the Web

Operated by Heartland Fire and Rescue, the station is located in Fletcher Hills and was constructed in 1960 with a single apparatus bay and a shared dormitory. —Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026

The women live in dormitory-style rooms without doors. —Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026

In an interview, Miguel, a carpenter who has lived in the area for 11 years, said the men worked and lived on his property, with four of them staying in a small dormitory. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026

By the 1930s, hundreds of boys lived at the site, which included a school and dormitories where boys elected their own mayor, council and commissioners, according to the organization’s website. —ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin dormitorium, from dormire

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dormitory

• dormitory town

Rhymes for dormitory

• allegory
• amatory
• auditory
• category
• clerestory
• crematory
• desultory
• dilatory
• excretory
• extempore
• feudatory
• gustatory

Kids Definition

dormitory

noun

dor·​mi·​to·​ry ˈdȯr-mə-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

plural dormitories

1

: a sleeping room especially for several people

2

: a residence hall having many sleeping rooms