# abode

/əˈboʊd/ (US) · /ɐbˈəʊd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/abode
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. a home

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the place where you live, like a house or apartment.

For teachers: a place of residence, dwelling, or habitation. Often used in legal contexts or fixed expressions like 'of no fixed abode'.

- The police described the suspect as a man of no fixed abode.
- The humble cottage had been his place of abode for over forty years, serving as a sanctuary from the pressures of city life.

Usage: Commonly appears in the legal phrase 'of no fixed abode' to describe someone who is homeless or transient.

## Examples

- Welcome to my humble abode.
- The defendant had no fixed abode at the time of the arrest, making it difficult for the court to serve the summons.
- After years of traveling across the continent, the weary explorer finally established a permanent abode in a quiet coastal village, far from the noise of the capital.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.