full board

Word family

• half board
  nounB1
• board and lodging
  nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Full board covers three meals a day plus accommodation, making it the most comprehensive standard meal plan at hotels. Half board includes breakfast and one other meal (usually dinner), so it is cheaper but means you will need to buy lunch yourself. Bed and breakfast (B&B) provides only the morning meal, leaving you free to explore local restaurants for other meals. All-inclusive goes beyond full board by also covering drinks, snacks, and sometimes activities or entertainment — it is common at beach resorts. In some European countries, the term 'full pension' is used instead of 'full board,' though they mean the same thing. For example, you would choose full board at a remote mountain lodge with no nearby restaurants, half board at a city hotel where you want to try local lunch spots, and all-inclusive at a Caribbean resort where you plan to stay on the beach all day.

Common collocations

Etymology

From 'board' meaning a table where meals are served, which by the 16th century came to mean meals provided regularly in return for payment. 'Full' was added to distinguish it from arrangements with fewer meals, such as 'half board.'