English vocabulary · C1
Tenement
/ˈtɛnəmənt/ · n.
A tenement is an old apartment building with many small homes inside. It is often in a crowded city area.
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Example sentences
- Many families lived in the tenement.
- The old tenement had small dark rooms.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- ten — hold (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- APARTMENT HOUSE — many homes in one place (Many Homes)
- BUILDING — a place with rooms (One Place)
- HOUSING — homes for people (Places To Live)
Words with the same root
ten — hold
- contain — hold inside
- maintain — keep in good shape
- retain — keep
Lesson notes
A tenement is an old apartment building with many small homes inside. It is often in a crowded city area.
Related: apartment house, building, housing. Use tenement for an old building with many small homes.
Many families lived in the tenement. The old tenement had small dark rooms.
From Latin. Ten- means hold. A tenement holds many homes in one old building.