a ‧ part ‧ ment S2 W3 /əˈpɑːtmənt $ -ɑːr-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: French ; Origin: appartement , from Italian appartamento , from appartare 'to put aside, separate' ]
1 . especially American English a set of rooms on one floor of a large building, where someone lives SYN flat British English :
She lives in a small apartment.
2 . [usually plural] a room or set of rooms used by an important person such as a president:
I had never been in the prince’s private apartments before.
the presidential apartments
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COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + apartment
▪ a one-bedroom/two-bedroom etc apartment ( also one-bedroomed/two-bedroomed apartment British English )
A tiny one-bedroom apartment was all she could afford.
▪ a studio apartment (=with just one main room, which you use for sleeping, cooking, and eating)
Studio apartments can be a good option for those who want a cheap place in a good location.
▪ a first-floor/second-floor etc apartment
We had a fourth-floor apartment, and it was difficult going up and down all those stairs.
▪ a basement apartment (=below the level of the ground)
a dark basement apartment
▪ a penthouse apartment (=on the top floor of a building)
She bought a penthouse apartment in Santa Monica.
▪ a luxury apartment
The school has been converted into luxury apartments.
▪ a furnished/unfurnished apartment (=with or without furniture)
a luxurious two-bedroomed unfurnished apartment situated in the heart of town
▪ a holiday apartment British English , a vacation apartment American English
We rented a holiday apartment on Mallorca.
■ verbs
▪ live in an apartment
He lived in a small apartment on the third floor.
▪ buy/rent an apartment
Tom rented an apartment at the top of the building.
▪ share an apartment
I’m sharing the apartment with a group of friends.
▪ own an apartment
My parents own an apartment in Madrid.
▪ move into/out of an apartment (=start living in a new apartment, or leave an apartment in order to live somewhere else)
They moved into the apartment last Easter.
■ NOUN + apartment
▪ an apartment building ( also an apartment block British English , apartment house American English )
a five-storey apartment block
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Our apartment building is the last block on the right, opposite the bank.
▪ an apartment complex (=a group of buildings containing apartments)
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THESAURUS
■ an apartment
▪ apartment especially American English , flat British English a set of rooms where someone lives that is part of a house or bigger building. In British English, people usually say flat . Apartment is used about large and expensive flats, or in advertisements:
His apartment is on the eighth floor.
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In London, I shared a flat with some other students.
▪ condominium ( also condo informal ) American English one apartment in a building with several apartments, owned by the people who live in them:
a 10-unit condominium complex