# villa

/ˈvɪɫə/ (US) · /vˈɪlɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/villa
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. holiday home

noun · CEFR B1

a large house, often in a warm country, where people stay for a holiday.

For teachers: a large, often luxurious country or coastal residence, typically used as a retreat or holiday home.

- We rented a beautiful villa with a private pool for our summer holiday in Spain.
- The family spent their summers at a secluded villa on the Tuscan coast, away from the noise of the city.

### 2. British suburban house

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

a type of middle-class house in the UK, often built in the 19th or early 20th century.

For teachers: a suburban or semi-detached house, typically of Victorian or Edwardian architecture, situated in a middle-class residential area.

- They live in a Victorian villa on a quiet street in North London.
- The street was lined with red-brick villas, many of which had been converted into smaller apartments over the years.

### 3. Ancient Roman estate

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a large country house in Ancient Rome that often had a farm attached to it.

For teachers: a rural estate in Ancient Rome, typically consisting of a main residence and surrounding farm buildings.

- The archaeologists discovered the ruins of an ancient Roman villa near the coast.
- Excavations revealed that the villa was a significant agricultural hub, complete with olive presses and extensive storage rooms.

### 4. ancestral home

noun · CEFR C2 · Slang · Dialect

a person's home village or the place where their family comes from.

For teachers: a person's village of origin or ancestral homeland.

- He travels back to the villa every December to see his extended family.
- Many city dwellers maintain strong ties to the villa, returning for significant cultural festivals and family gatherings.

Teaching tip: This sense is specific to Nigerian English; in other regions, 'villa' only refers to a large house.

## Examples

- We rented a beautiful villa for our summer holiday.
- The family decided to stay in a private villa with a pool rather than booking several hotel rooms.
- The hillside was dotted with white-walled villas, each offering a panoramic view of the Mediterranean and surrounded by lush olive groves.

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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.