sitting-room

sitting-room — noun

1. a room inside a house that is used for relaxing, talking with guests, reading, o

1.nounA2
Definition

a room inside a house that is used for relaxing, talking with guests, reading, or watching television.

Example

The children were watching a cartoon in the sitting-room while Hannah cooked dinner.

collocation: in the sitting-room

Rin's family has a cosy sitting-room with a fireplace and two large bookshelves.

Common collocations
  • in the sitting-room
  • into the sitting-room
  • the sitting-room door
  • sitting-room furniture
  • sitting-room floor
  • family sitting-room
  • cosy sitting-room
  • large sitting-room
  • front sitting-room
  • ground-floor sitting-room
Synonyms
  • living room

    the modern equivalent, now the most common term in both British and American English

  • lounge

    used in British English, often for a more formal or hotel setting; slightly less common for a private home

  • parlour

    old-fashioned term, rarely used in modern everyday speech

Grammar Patterns

in + the/a sitting-room

[verb] + to + the sitting-room

sitting-room + [noun] (as modifier)

Usage Note

This word is a direct synonym of 'living room'. In British English, 'sitting-room' was the traditional term for this room, though 'living room' is now used in both British and American English. In American English, 'living room' is the standard term and 'sitting-room' is very rare.

Word family

  • sit
    verbA1
  • room
    nounA1
  • living room
    nounA1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words refer to a room where people sit and relax, but they differ in regional preference and formality. 'Sitting-room' is the traditional British term, now sounding slightly old-fashioned or formal in everyday speech. 'Living room' is the modern standard in both British and American English — it is the most neutral and widely understood term. 'Lounge' in British English can be used for a room in a private home (especially a larger, more formal one) or more commonly in hotels and public spaces; in American English, 'lounge' usually means a bar or a waiting area, not a home room. Example: 'The family gathered in the living room to watch the film' sounds natural everywhere. 'We had coffee in the hotel lounge' is fine; 'We sat in the lounge at my grandmother's house' sounds slightly posh in British English and odd in American English.

sitting-room ↗living roomlounge ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • at the back of the house
  • on the ground floor
  • facing the garden

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

A compound noun formed from 'sitting' (the act of sitting, from Old English 'sittan') and 'room' (from Old English 'rūm', meaning space or chamber). The word first appeared in the 18th century as a room used for sitting and socialising, as distinct from a 'dining room' or 'bedroom'. By the 19th century, 'sitting-room' became the standard British term for the room where a family would spend their leisure time. In the 20th century, 'living room' gradually replaced it in both Britain and America, though 'sitting-room' remains in use, especially among older speakers and in describing traditional homes.