What does washroom mean?
Washroom is a noun denoting a room where people can use a toilet and wash their hands, especially in a public building such as a restaurant, school, office, or shopping center. In everyday North American English, it is a traditional and relatively formal alternative to restroom and bathroom. The word can also sound somewhat old-fashioned, particularly when it appears on signs in contemporary venues, although it remains clear and widely understood. A washroom normally includes a toilet and a basin or sink, but the term is used chiefly to identify the facility rather than to describe its fixtures. Its meaning is stable across most of its uses: unlike words such as bathroom, it is not normally used for a private residential room containing a bathtub, although dictionaries may also relate it more broadly to a room used for washing.
nounA room, especially in a public building or facility, where people can use a toilet and wash their hands. It is a traditional or relatively formal term for a public restroom.
- A room in a public building or other facility where people can use a toilet and wash their hands.
"Could you direct me to the nearest washroom?"
"Please use the washroom at the end of the hallway."
"The restaurant has a washroom available for customers."
The plural is used when referring to multiple facilities or when discussing the number of available facilities.
"There are washrooms on each floor of the building."
The polite-sounding label says more than it seems: a washroom is a room not only for washing, but also for using the toilet and cleaning up.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does washroom come from?
Washroom is an English compound formed from wash and room. The first element refers to cleaning with water, while the second denotes an enclosed space, and together they describe a room associated with washing and toilet facilities. Its compound elements belong to the wider family of English wash-related words, including washer and washhouse.
Related word forms
How washroom is actually used
In North American English, washroom is generally more formal or traditional than restroom and bathroom. Outside North America, restroom and toilet are more common, and washroom may sound dated in some settings.
Easily confused with washroom
Both words refer to a room containing a toilet, but washroom is the more traditional and formal North American label, while restroom is the more common contemporary term.