A dormitory is a facility which houses beds for large numbers of people. As the Latin roots for this word imply, a dormitory is intended primarily for sleeping, and it is often attached to an institution. Dormitories are used to house prisoners, students, and members of militaries, and they come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes all over the world. In some regions, there has been a shift away from the use of “dormitory” for facilities which are used for mixed purposes, like sleeping, studying, and recreating.

The origins of the dormitory are ancient, as people have always needed a place to sleep at night, and people in institutions have required sleeping space for large numbers of individuals. Housing people in a dormitory makes far more sense from an economic standpoint than giving people private rooms and homes, as it allows large numbers of people to sleep in a comparatively small area. Dormitory living can also promote bonding, cooperation, and social skills among the residents.

Generally, a dormitory sleeps any group of people larger than two, in a variety of configurations. Some dormitories have large halls which may have tens or even hundreds of beds where people all sleep together, while others are divided into smaller rooms which sleep two to six people. The space is usually quite utilitarian, with shared bathrooms and limited space, since the primary purpose of a dormitory is to provide sleeping quarters. Some dorms provide bedding, towels, and other supplies to their residents, while others require people to bring their own linens.

In schools, the term “residence hall” is often preferred to “dormitory,” to emphasize the fact that students engage in a number of activities in their residences, not just sleeping. This is especially true of smaller colleges, where halls may house 25 to 30 students in a mixture of single and double rooms. “Residence hall” also differentiates college facilities from the more spartan institutional dormitories found at prisons and on military bases, and it is viewed as more welcoming and inviting.

Some hostels also offer dormitories so that travelers can get an especially low nightly rate, and public dormitories are sometimes established to provide shelter for homeless people or the victims of natural disasters. These temporary dormitories are designed to ensure that people in need of shelter can access it, and they may have strict rules about check in and check out times, along with regulations about the kind of activities permitted in the dormitory.