What Does Apartment Mean?
Dictionary.com defines apartment as:
“noun
- a room or a group of related rooms, among similar sets in one building, designed for use as a dwelling.
- a building containing or made up of such rooms.
- any separated room or group of rooms in a house or other dwelling:
We heard cries from an apartment at the back of the house.
- apartments, British. a set of rooms used as a dwelling by one person or one family.”
Synonyms for Apartment
According to Thesaurus.com, apartment has the following synonyms:
The History Of The Word
The word apartment entered the English language in the 1640’s, according to The Online Etymology Dictionary. The word evolved from the Italian appartimento, meaning “a separated place.” It is also derived from the Latin word partem, or “a part, piece, a division.”
The earliest record of the word being used for a British flat comes from 1863. The phrase “apartment house” dates from 1870.
When to Use the Abbreviation
The abbreviation of the word apartment is mostly used in casual contexts and in postal addresses. The USPS advises that APT is the preferred abbreviation for postal addressing. You’re most likely to find the abbreviation apt. in real estate listings or advertisements.
For example:
FOR RENT—2nd Flr. Apt. available. 2bed/1bath. Util. and elec. not included. Hardwood floors in kitchen/dining room. Wall-to-wall carpet in living room. Dishwasher and washer/dryer hookup. Unfinished bsmt. $1,500/month.
The abbreviation is not commonly used outside of headlines, addresses, ad listings, and forms.
Examples of the Word and Abbreviation in Context
Turning a nondescript New York rental into a homey, Instagram-worthy apartment can be a real challenge.
—Curbed New York
An investor bought an apartment building on the non-oceanfront side of Sunny Isles Beach for $7.56 million.
—The Real Deal
Apartment complex fire displaces 8 families| PIQUA — A fire at a Piqua apartment complex displaced eight families on Monday morning.
—Troy News Daily
SELLING POINTS: Goodwill sells Astoria apt. building for $35M
—Real Estate Weekly
Early morning Lawrence Apt. building fire under investigation | LAWRENCE, Kan. (WIBW) Nobody was seriously injured in an early morning fire that caused nearly half a million dollars damage to a Lawrence Apartment Building.
—Channel 13 WIBW
Sources:
- https://www.dictionary.com/browse/apartment?s=t
- https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/apartment
- https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=apartment
- https://www.wibw.com/content/news/Early-morning-Lawrence-Apt-building-fire-under-investigation-566685431.html
- https://rew-online.com/2020/01/selling-points-goodwill-sells-astoria-apt-building-for-35m/
- https://www.tdn-net.com/news/77752/apt-complex-fire-displaces-families
- https://therealdeal.com/miami/2020/01/21/private-equity-founder-buys-sunny-isles-apartments/
- https://ny.curbed.com/2020/1/21/21071086/nyc-rental-apartment-upgrade-ideas-budget
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
