Skip to main content
country house

country house

15 3.4
A large house in the countryside with its own land
  • noun
  • /ˈkʌntri haʊs/
translation icon : casa solariega
  • My family spends every summer at our country house in the mountains, where we enjoy the fresh air.

In any case, we're at the country house.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • So last weekend, at our country house, my brother and sister-in-law came to visit.

    Blog text (23)
  • My parents were at their country house in the Berkshires, and Zach was out with his friends.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • This is a country house.

  • We're leaving for my country house.

  • We're going out to our country house.

  • No, in a big country house about five miles from here.

  • Everyone knows that you buy two of everything, you keep one set at the country house.

  • I have a country house with some land... of course, attached to it.

  • Tom Grace told me you have a country house in Connecticut.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • We lived downstairs, for this had once been a grand country house.

    Fiction book (1994)

Synonyms

manor
vscountry house
67 5.8

A large country house often the home of a rich family

is a broad old term for large rural residences, not only historical estates
villa
vscountry house
55 3.2

A large fancy house in the countryside or suburbs that people use as a holiday home

is often a leisure or holiday property rather than a permanent rural estate
chateau
vscountry house
16 8.2

A large impressive country house in France, often like a small castle

is similar but usually not specifically French or castle like
manor house
vscountry house
4 6.0

A large old country house once owned by a rich landowner

is general impressive residence not limited to historical lordship
stately home
vscountry house
  • UK
2 5.7

A large, impressive house in the country owned by a rich family

is large and impressive without specific aristocratic association
countryseat
vscountry house
  • UK
9.4

A large house with land in the countryside that is the main home of a family

is similar but emphasizes the large residence rather than estate function

How Big

mansion
327 3.4
manor
67 5.8
country house
15 3.4
house
1.0
cottage
171 1.0

Surface Forms

country house singular

Morphology

country + house

The meaning 'a house in the countryside' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'country' (rural area) with 'house' (dwelling). Although the dictionary definition adds connotations of size or estate ownership, a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer it denotes a house located in the countryside; this compositional pattern is common across languages.

Etymology

Country house began as a simple description: a house in the country where rich families left the noisy city for fresh air and open land. Because these homes were often large and on private grounds, country house came to mean 'a large and impressive house in the countryside'.