housemate

IPA/ˈhaʊsmeɪt/
IPA/ˈhaʊsmeɪt/

housemate — noun

  • housematesingular
  • housematesplural

1. a person sharing your home and the rent or bills who is neither a relative nor a

1.nounB1
Definition

a person sharing your home and the rent or bills who is neither a relative nor a romantic partner — usually each person has their own bedroom inside the property.

Example

Kenji has three housemates who all work at the same hospital.

[possessive] + housemate(s) showing how many people share the house

My new housemate left a friendly note about the kitchen rota on the fridge.

common collocation: kitchen rota / cleaning rota with housemates

Common collocations
  • new housemate
  • former housemate
  • find a housemate
  • argue with a housemate
Synonyms
  • flatmate

    British English; used when the shared home is a flat (apartment) rather than a house

  • roommate

    American English; can mean someone sharing the whole home, but in British use it strictly means sharing a single bedroom

  • co-tenant

    formal/legal term used when both people are named on the rental contract

Grammar Patterns

[possessive] housemate

be housemates with [person]

Usage Note

Distinguish from 'roommate': a housemate shares a whole house with separate bedrooms, while a roommate (US English) usually shares one bedroom. In British English 'flatmate' is the equivalent for an apartment.

Common Mistakes

My housemate is my brother.
My brother lives with me.
'housemate' is only used for people who are not family.
My wife is my housemate.
My wife and I share a house.
a romantic partner is not called a 'housemate'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four words all describe people who share a home, but the distinctions matter for daily English. 'Housemate' is the neutral British and international choice for anyone sharing a house — each person typically has their own bedroom. 'Flatmate' is the British equivalent when the shared home is a flat (apartment); Americans use 'roommate' for the same situation. 'Roommate' in strict British English narrows further to two people sharing a single bedroom, which can confuse learners reading mixed sources. 'Co-tenant' is a formal or legal term, used mainly in rental contracts or when discussing shared legal responsibility — you would not say 'My co-tenant cooked dinner.' For everyday talk in Taiwan classrooms learning international English, 'housemate' and 'flatmate' are the safest words; for American contexts, switch to 'roommate'.

housemate ↗flatmate ↗roommate ↗co-tenant

Common collocations

Nouns

  • housemate agreement
  • housemate from hell

Phrases

  • a good housemate
  • looking for a housemate
  • split the rent with housemates

Prepositions

  • housemate of [someone]
  • housemates with [someone]

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle Low GermanModern English

A modern English compound built from 'house' (Old English 'hus', a dwelling) plus the suffix '-mate' (from Middle Low German 'mate', meaning companion or fellow). The pattern shows up in many sharing words such as 'classmate', 'teammate', and 'shipmate'. 'Housemate' began appearing in print in the early twentieth century as renting rooms in shared private houses became common in British university towns, and its use spread further with the post-1960s growth of student and graduate house-shares.