tenement

/'tenimənt/

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Word: Tenement

Part of Speech: Noun

Basic Definition: A "tenement" is a type of building, usually an old apartment house, that is in poor condition and only meets the very basic living standards. These buildings are often found in cities and may house many families in small, cramped apartments.

Usage Instructions:

• You can use "tenement" when talking about housing, especially when discussing living conditions or urban environments.
• It is often used in a historical or social context to describe issues related to poverty and housing.

Example Sentence:

• "After searching for weeks, they finally found a small apartment in a tenement building downtown."

Advanced Usage:

In more advanced discussions, "tenement" can be used in sociological studies to describe the living conditions of low-income families or to analyze urban development issues.

Word Variants:

• Tenement House: Another term for the same type of building.
• Tenement Living: Refers to the lifestyle or conditions of residents living in such buildings.

Different Meanings:

1. In a broader sense, "tenement" can refer to any kind of rental property, but this usage is less common today.
2. In legal terms, it can refer to any property, especially land or buildings, that are owned or rented.

Synonyms:

• Apartment building
• Flat
• Housing project (though this can have different connotations)
• Slum (when referring to particularly poor conditions)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There aren’t specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly associated with "tenement," but you might hear phrases like "living in a tenement" to describe a challenging living situation.

Summary:

A tenement is a type of old, often poorly maintained apartment building where many people live. It highlights issues of housing quality and urban life, especially for lower-income families.

Academic

Noun

1. a run-down apartment house barely meeting minimal standards

Synonyms

• tenement house