English Reference

Word

barrack

Phoneticsbar·rack

US/ˈbæɹək/

UK/bˈæɹək/

Definition

n. a building where soldiers live. It is usually a large, simple house with many rooms for a group of people.

n. a building or group of buildings for the accommodation of soldiers. Often used in the plural to refer to the entire complex.

Examples

“The soldiers live in a large barrack near the base.”

“After the long march, the recruits were exhausted and relieved to finally reach the barracks for the night.”

“The historic barracks, originally constructed in the mid-nineteenth century, have been converted into luxury apartments while retaining their original architectural features.”

Examples

simple

“The soldiers live in a large barrack near the base.”

contextual

“After the long march, the recruits were exhausted and relieved to finally reach the barracks for the night.”

complex

“The historic barracks, originally constructed in the mid-nineteenth century, have been converted into luxury apartments while retaining their original architectural features.”

Real-World Examples

“The next worst thing that could happen is Germany calling up men to war with the resulting medicals and barrack rooms.”
The Guardian · 11 Sept 2026
“Southampton will have to get used to being barracked as they travel the Championship this autumn, the “Spygate” team set to be everyone’s favourite boo boys in the second tier.”
The Guardian · 16 Aug 2026

Etymology

Borrowed from French baraque, from Spanish barraca or Catalan barraca, which is of uncertain origin. It is probably either a diminutive of Vulgar Latin barra (“bar”), of unclear origin, or a diminutive of Vulgar Latin barrum (“clay, mud”) from Celtiberian or Paleo-Hispanic.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Domain

Military

This entry

Level
C2 · Proficiency
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

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English Reference