What does roommate mean?
A roommate is someone who shares a room, house, or other living space with another person. The word is especially common in university, hostel, and shared-housing contexts, where it describes a person living alongside someone else rather than simply a friend or family member. “Roommate” can refer to a housemate or flatmate, and it may also cover people who share a room in a dormitory or other institutional accommodation. The relationship can range from friendly and cooperative to tense or distant, and the term often implies a practical arrangement involving rent, chores, privacy, and household routines. In North American English it is especially frequent, while British speakers may use “flatmate” when an apartment is meant specifically. The word is formed from “room” and “mate,” a combination that clearly conveys shared accommodation.
nounA person who shares a room, house, or other living accommodation with another person, especially someone in a university, hostel, or shared household.
- A person who shares a room or other living accommodation with another person.
"Her new roommate was friendly and helped her settle into the apartment."
"My roommate cooks dinner while I study."
"The website offers a list of available roommates for students looking to share a house."
The plural is formed by adding “-s.”
"The roommates divided the chores evenly."
The word roommate captures one of the most practical—and sometimes most revealing—relationships in everyday life: sharing space with someone you did not choose.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of roommate
“Roommate” is a compound formed in English from “room” and “mate,” with the word developing in the 19th century as people began describing people who shared residential space. The suffix “-mate” was already familiar from words such as “roommate,” “flatmate,” and “classmate,” where it conveys companionship or association. The underlying sense of “room” comes from an Old English word for a spacious interior or part of a house, while “mate” ultimately derives from a Germanic word meaning companion or fellow.
How roommate is actually used
The term is common in North American English and is also used in British English, although “flatmate” is particularly frequent for someone sharing a flat. “Roommate” can imply either a domestic or institutional living arrangement.
Easily confused with roommate
A roommate shares the accommodation and usually the household expenses, whereas a landlord owns or manages the property and rents it to tenants.
A flatmate is specifically someone who shares a flat or apartment, while a roommate may share a room in a larger house or institutional accommodation.