condos

Meanings

1. 1nounpluralinformal

   Apartments in a building where each unit is owned by an individual while the shared areas are owned by everyone together.

   Grammar: This is the plural of condo: one condo, two condos.

   Patterns

   • buy condos
   • condos in a city

   Many young couples are buying condos downtown.

   The new condos have a pool and a gym.

   Prices for beachfront condos rose this year.

2. 2nounpluralinformal

   The buildings or complexes that contain such individually owned apartments.

   Grammar: Often used for whole developments: the condos near the lake.

   Patterns

   • live in condos

   Tall condos line the waterfront.

   They are building condos on the old factory site.

   The condos by the harbor were sold out in a month.

Word forms

Common combinations

luxury condos

Luxury condos overlook the river.

rent out condos

She rents out two condos near the beach.

buy condos

Investors buy condos to rent them.

downtown condos

Downtown condos are popular with commuters.

condo fees

Condo fees cover the cost of maintaining the building.

Synonyms and how they differ

apartments

Apartments is a general term for flats, while condos stresses that each unit is owned, not rented from a landlord.

flats

Flats is the usual British word for apartments and does not highlight ownership.

co-ops

In a co-op, residents own shares in a company rather than the unit itself, so it is legally different from a condo.

Word family

condo noun

one such apartment

condominium noun

the full word for condo

condo association noun

the group of owners who manage the shared areas

condo fee noun

a regular payment for shared costs

Commonly confused: condos or condominium?

Practice

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