Meaning & use
lady's room
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableeuphemistic
A polite word for a toilet intended for women, especially in a public building or restaurant.
Grammar: Usually used with the or a: "the lady's room" or "a lady's room."
Patterns
- the lady's room
- a lady's room
- use the lady's room
- go to the lady's room
Excuse me, could you tell me where the lady's room is?
The lady's room is at the end of the hall, past the elevators.
She asked the waiter if there was a lady's room on that floor.
nouncountableold-fashioned
A room set aside for women to rest, freshen up, or change, as in a club or hotel.
Grammar: Takes a/the; often appears in older writing about clubs and hotels.
Patterns
- the lady's room
- in the lady's room
The hotel kept a lady's room where guests could leave their coats and tidy up.
In the 1920s, a lady's room at a club was a quiet place for women to sit and talk.
Word forms
| plural | lady's rooms |
|---|
Common combinations
- the lady's room
- The lady's room is just around the corner.
- go to the lady's room
- I need to go to the lady's room before the movie starts.
- use the lady's room
- May I use the lady's room, please?
- where the lady's room is
- He didn't know where the lady's room was.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ladies' room
- More common today and usually plural in form; it means the same thing.
- restroom
- A neutral American word for a toilet in a public place; it does not say whether it is for women.
- powder room
- A polite, often slightly old-fashioned word for a women's toilet in a home or restaurant.
Word family
- ladies' room noun
- The more usual modern form of the same phrase.
- men's room noun
- The matching polite word for a toilet for men.
- lady noun
- A polite word for a woman; the base word in this phrase.
Commonly confused: lady's room or ladies' room?
lady's room vs ladies' room
Most people write and say "ladies' room" (plural with the apostrophe after the s). "Lady's room" is an older, singular form and sounds dated.
Practice
Which sentence uses "lady's room" correctly?
Choose one answer.
"The lady's room" needs the definite article and a singular verb, so option 0 fits. Option 3 is wrong because it drops "the"; option 1 mixes a singular article with a plural noun; option 2 uses a plural verb with a singular noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lady's room”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.