condo

condo — noun

1. a home in a building that you own yourself, while shared areas such as stairs an

1.nounB1
Definition

a home in a building that you own yourself, while shared areas such as stairs and gardens are looked after by all the owners together

Example

Shanti bought a two-bedroom condo near the beach after months of searching.

collocation: bought a [size] condo

Yuna owns a new condo unit and shares the gym and pool with other residents.

collocation: owns a unit — shows ownership vs renting

Common collocations
  • buy / own / sell a condo
  • condo fees
  • condo building / complex / unit
  • two-bedroom / one-bedroom condo
  • downtown / beachfront / lakeside condo
  • condo association / board
Synonyms
  • condominium

    the full, more formal term; used in legal documents and real estate listings

  • apartment

    often implies a rented unit in US English, though ownership structure varies by region

  • unit

    neutral term for any individual dwelling within a larger building or complex

  • flat

    British English equivalent; typically rented but can be owned under a leasehold arrangement

Usage Note

Chiefly US and Canadian. In British English the equivalent is 'flat' for the unit or 'leasehold flat' for the ownership arrangement. The full form 'condominium' is used in legal and formal writing.

Common Mistakes

I pay rent for my condo every month.
I pay condo fees every month.
Rent goes to a landlord for a property you do not own; condo fees cover shared-area maintenance for a property you own.
We rented a condo from a couple who owned the unit.
We rented an apartment from a couple who owned the unit.
If you are renting, you do not own the unit; use 'apartment' or 'flat' instead of 'condo.'

Word family

  • condominium
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Condo is the everyday American shortening of condominium, which sounds formal and legal. An apartment in US English is typically rented from a landlord, whereas a condo is owned by the resident — this is the key functional difference. Flat is the British term for a single-level dwelling; it does not specify ownership, so context is needed. Unit is the most neutral option, used in real estate listings and building plans to describe any individual dwelling without referencing ownership or formality. For example: 'She owns her unit in a high-rise condo downtown' (neutral description of ownership and location).

condominiumapartment ↗flat ↗unit ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • condo association
  • condo board
  • condo market
  • condo owner

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Condo is a shortened form of condominium, which entered American English in the 1960s to describe individually owned apartments in a shared building. The word comes from Latin com- (together, with) and dominium (ownership, dominion). Originally a legal term for joint sovereignty over territory, it was later applied to joint ownership of common areas in multi-unit housing.