Define Roommate

"Roommate" is most often an American term to refer to people who share the same living quarters and situation. "Roomie" is a common shortened version of the term.

Definition

Roommates are people who share or occupy the same living quarters. These people might share the same room, house or apartment.

Types of Roommates

Often college students have roommates when living in a dormitory. Commonly, roommates are friends or acquaintances. In other cases, a person might advertise to find a roommate that he or she does not know.

Word History & Origins

Roommate is chiefly an American term. It dates back to the late 1700s or early 1800s. The British term is "flatmate."

Word Forms

The term is obviously formed by the linking of "room" and "mate." The plural form is "roommates."

Synonyms and Antonyms

Friends, bedfellows and companions are some synonyms of roommate. Antonyms include enemy or foe.

References

• Definition of Roommate
• Roommate, Webster's Third New International Dictionary Unabridged