Apartment Definition: A Suite of Rooms Explained

Meaning 1：a suite of rooms (apartment)

apartment 🔊

/əˈpɑːrtmənt/

A set of rooms for living in that is part of a larger building.

Modern apartment living room with city view and cozy furniture

a suite of rooms 🔊

➕

/ə swiːt əv ruːmz/

A self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building, typically on one floor with its own private entrance.

📁 Category：Buildings & Places 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Latin 'appartare' (to separate) from 'ad-' (toward) + 'pars' (part) → 'separated part'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'a part' + 'ment' — a separate part of a building where you live.

📖 Example

After graduating, she rented a small, sunny apartment in the city center. 🔊 After graduating, she rented a small, sunny apartment in the city center.

🔗 Collocations

rent an apartment – to pay money to live in an apartment temporarily

apartment complex – a group of apartment buildings

furnished apartment – an apartment that already has furniture

🔄 Synonyms

flat (n.) – A British term for an apartment, especially one on one floor.

condo (n.) – Short for condominium, an apartment owned by the resident rather than rented.

unit (n.) – A single apartment within a larger building or complex.

🚫 Antonyms

mansion (n.) – A very large, impressive house, often standing alone.

dormitory (n.) – A large room or building with many beds for people to sleep in, often shared.

🌱 Derivatives

apartmental (adj.) – of or relating to an apartment

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Italian 'appartamento' via French, meaning 'separated rooms'. In 17th-century Europe, renting separate suites in large houses led to the modern apartment building.