roommate

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

n. a person you share a single bedroom with, like in a university dormitory.

n. a person who occupies the same sleeping quarters as another, specifically sharing the same room.

“In my first year of college, my roommate always stayed up late studying.”

“Living with a roommate in a cramped dormitory requires a significant amount of patience and mutual respect for personal space.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Humorous · Slang

n. a word sometimes used to describe a romantic partner you live with when you want to keep the relationship private.

n. a euphemistic or ironic term for a same-sex domestic partner, often used to avoid disclosure or to mock historical erasure of such relationships.

“For years, he introduced his partner to his conservative family as his roommate.”

“The term is frequently used ironically online to highlight the historical tendency to describe obvious romantic couples as merely roommates.”