Synonyms

housemate

American

[hous-meyt] / ˈhaʊsˌmeɪt /

noun

a person with whom one shares a house or other residence.
a sexual partner with whom one shares a house or other living quarters without being married.

housemate British

/ ˈhaʊsˌmeɪt /

noun

a person who is not part of the same family, but with whom one shares a house

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of housemate

First recorded in 1800–10; house + mate ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Spencer also describes herself as a marathon runner and "housemate to four rescued greyhounds", with the dogs spotted campaigning with her in the constituency.

From BBC

As a housemate, he was catastrophic—overturning wastebaskets, ransacking drawers and drenching manuscripts.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ellis said his friends and housemates spoke Welsh "constantly" to each other, which led to him having daily nightmares and panic attacks that made it even harder to concentrate on his studies.

From BBC

Hunt even found a housemate for himself at one of the mixers.

From Los Angeles Times

Except for the kitchen, the home she and her fiancé share with four housemates was dark.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023