What does "hostelry" mean?

An inn that provides overnight accommodation for travellers (and, originally, their horses).

What is a synonym for "hostelry"?

Common synonyms include: guest house, auberge, boardinghouse, dorm, dormitory, fleabag.

//ˈhɒstəlɹi// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Noun

1
An inn that provides overnight accommodation for travellers (and, originally, their horses). countable
2
a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers wordnet
3
The art and skill of guest management at a commercial facility such as a hotel, inn, motel, bed and breakfast, or hostel. uncountable
"the hostelry trade"

"At nightfall, a group of twenty-nine came into that hostelry."

From Middle English hostelerie, from Middle French hostellerie, from Old French hostelerie, ostelerie; by surface analysis, hostel + -ry.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.