stately home
3
5.7
- noun
- /ˈsteɪtli hoʊm/
- UK
- They came across the Bay Bridge at full speed and drove west on Broadway past Carol Doda's place and all the topless bars, and as soon as they went through the Broadway Tunnel and crossed Van Ness, they began to pass the stately homes on Broadway.
- stately homes of England
- grand stately home
- stately home and gardens
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Watch on YouTubeSo I was in the prison and it's like a stately home, E Sutton Park.
- So I was in the prison and it's like a stately home, E Sutton Park.
Examples
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Many tourists visit the grand stately home to explore its beautiful gardens and rich history.
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The stately homes of England.
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Your dog will be in his or her element, running around the huge grounds of a stately home or large traditional Scottish cottage.
Blog text (23) -
Mississippi's stately homes tell a bit of the rich history of the state.
Blog text (29) -
And then when Diana's grandfather died, they moved to the family stately home, Althorp.
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On Friday, we had spent the day at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, his stately home engraved on the back of every US nickel.
Blog text (18) -
ANNAPOLIS - NIGHT: DEAN's BMW drives through a neighborhood of stately homes, all magnificently decorated for Christmas.
Fiction book (1998) -
The stately home has been in the family for generations, showcasing centuries of architecture and art.
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Last summer, we attended a wedding in an elegant stately home surrounded by lush countryside.
Synonyms
298
3.4
A very large, impressive house often with many rooms and gardens
59
5.8
A large country house often the home of a rich family
19
3.5
A large official house where an important person, like a president, lives
18
3.4
A large house in the countryside with its own land
6
6.0
A large old country house once owned by a rich landowner
3
4.0
A very large, impressive house where a rich family lives
1
9.1
A large grand house used as a private home
Antonyms
How Impressive
391
1.0
298
3.4
- UK
3
5.7
18
3.4
∞
1.0
136
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a large, impressive house' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'stately' (grand, dignified) with 'home' (house), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the expression. There is a mild cultural nuance (often referring to a large country house associated with aristocracy), but that extra detail does not prevent basic comprehension of the phrase.
Etymology
Stately home may come from the idea of a house meant to show a family's importance: a stately, or grand, home where the owner greeted guests and held important events. That's why stately home means 'a large and impressive country house'.