hostelry

IPA/ˈhɒstəlri/
IPA/ˈhɑːstəlri/

hostelry — noun

  • hostelrysingular
  • hostelriesplural

1. a place where people go to drink alcoholic drinks such as beer or ale, talk with

1.nounC1
Definition

a place where people go to drink alcoholic drinks such as beer or ale, talk with friends, and sometimes eat simple food, especially in a traditional village or countryside setting

Example

After the harvest, the farm workers crowded into the village hostelry for a well-deserved pint.

collocation: village hostelry

Sofia's uncle had been the landlord of the Old Crown hostelry for thirty years.

collocation: landlord of the hostelry

Common collocations
  • village hostelry
  • old hostelry
  • country hostelry
  • landlord of the hostelry
  • at the hostelry
Synonyms
  • pub

    the common modern term in British English; everyday and neutral in register

  • tavern

    similar old-fashioned or literary feel, more common in US English for a historical-style bar

  • bar

    international term for any establishment serving alcoholic drinks; modern and neutral

Grammar Patterns

a hostelry

the hostelry

hostelries (plural)

Usage Note

Now largely old-fashioned in everyday British English. The modern words 'pub' or 'bar' are used in ordinary conversation. 'Hostelry' survives mainly in historical fiction, heritage pub names, and formal writing about traditional hospitality.

Common Mistakes

Let's meet at the local hostelry for coffee.
Let's meet at the local café for coffee.
'Hostelry' is old-fashioned and implies a place serving alcohol, not coffee; 'café' or 'pub' fits better.

2. a building where travellers can pay to spend the night and receive meals, typica

2.nounC1
Definition

a building where travellers can pay to spend the night and receive meals, typically found along country roads or in small historic towns

Example

The hikers reached the hostelry at sunset, grateful for a warm bed and hot meal.

collocation: reach the hostelry at sunset

Mei spent a weekend at a coaching hostelry with oak beams and a four-poster bed.

collocation: coaching hostelry

Common collocations
  • coaching hostelry
  • roadside hostelry
  • harbour hostelry
  • hostelry keeper
  • stay at a hostelry
Synonyms
  • inn

    the closest alternative in style and meaning; also slightly old-fashioned but far more common than hostelry

  • hotel

    modern, neutral term for any establishment offering paid overnight accommodation

  • guesthouse

    a smaller, often family-run place to stay, similar in character to a traditional inn

Grammar Patterns

a hostelry

the hostelry

hostelries (plural)

Usage Note

Also old-fashioned. 'Hotel' and 'inn' are the usual modern alternatives. 'Hostelry' in this sense is still recognised in formal or literary descriptions of historical and rural accommodation, but sounds overly formal in ordinary travel conversation.

Common Mistakes

I booked a room at a hostelry through a travel app.
I booked a room at a hotel through a travel app.
'Hostelry' is too literary for modern booking contexts; use 'hotel' or 'inn' instead.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four words describe places where travellers can stay overnight, but they differ in register and scale. 'Hostelry' is the most old-fashioned and literary of the group — you would read it in a historical novel, not in a travel booking app. 'Inn' is the closest alternative in character and formality: both suggest a smaller, character-rich establishment, often in the countryside, but 'inn' is still in everyday use (for example, 'We stayed at a lovely inn in the Lake District'). 'Hotel' is the modern, neutral term for any formal accommodation, from budget chains to luxury resorts. 'Guesthouse' sits between an inn and a hotel — it is usually smaller, family-run, and less formal, though still perfectly modern. 'Lodging' is a broader, more abstract term that can refer to any temporary sleeping arrangement, including a rented room in someone's home. If you are describing a building from the 1700s where travellers changed horses and ate supper by candlelight, 'hostelry' or 'inn' captures the period feel; for a weekend booking today, use 'hotel' or 'guesthouse'.

inn ↗hotel ↗guesthouse ↗lodging ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • old hostelry
  • country hostelry
  • coaching hostelry
  • village hostelry

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word entered Middle English around the 1300s from Old French 'hostelerie', meaning an inn or lodging house. This came from 'hostelier' (an innkeeper), which itself was built on 'hostel' (a place to stay), a word borrowed from Latin 'hospitālis' meaning 'of a guest or host'. The same Latin root produced 'hotel', 'hostel', and 'hospital', all of which share the idea of welcoming and sheltering people. The spelling stabilised as 'hostelry' by the 1500s.