dormitory
DOR-mi-tor-ee
/ˈdɔːrmətɔːri/
A large building containing living quarters and sleeping accommodation for a college or boarding school community.
Refers specifically to institutional student housing buildings; often shortened informally to 'dorm'.
The story behind the word. The word traces back directly to the Latin verb 'dormire', meaning 'to sleep'. In late medieval Latin, a 'dormitorium' was a monastic sleeping chamber where monks slept in rows under one roof. By the late 19th century, American universities adopted the term for student residential buildings.
Word relationships
- residence hall: 'Residence hall' is the modern university term emphasizing community, while 'dormitory' focuses strictly on sleeping space.
- hostel: 'Hostel' often refers to temporary low-cost accommodation for travelers or youth rather than permanent university housing.
- private dwelling: A private home is meant for individual or single-family living rather than shared student populations.
Commonly confused with
- dormant: 'Dormant' means inactive or sleeping (an adjective), whereas 'dormitory' is a noun for a sleeping building.
Word family
- dorm (noun): Informal shortened form of dormitory.
Collocations
- dormitory room
- college dormitory
- dormitory hall
- dormitory supervisor
Example sentences
- "First-year students are required to live in an on-campus dormitory to foster community engagement." Campus accommodation description
- "He spent his college years in a drafty old dormitory overlooking the library quadrangle." Classic academic literature quote
Memory hook
Think of 'dormant' volcanoes sleeping—a dormitory is where hundreds of sleeping students rest. Dormire = sleep; Dormitory = sleep building.
When not to use
Do not use to describe a private residential house or apartment building meant for general families.
Fun facts
- The world's oldest continuously operating university residence halls date back to 13th-century Oxford and Paris.
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