1 C1 neutral
(Medical/maternity) To keep a newborn baby in the same hospital room as the mother, rather than in a separate nursery.
"The hospital encourages rooming in because it helps establish breastfeeding."
room in
B2 neutral separable transitive
To accommodate someone by sharing a room or living space with them, or to keep a newborn baby in the same room as its mother.
In plain English
To let someone stay and sleep in your room or home, OR (for hospitals) to keep a baby in the same room as its mother.
What does "room in" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 informal
To accommodate someone by sharing one's room or living space with them.
"They roomed in together during the first year of university to save on costs."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To bring someone into a room — mostly transparent.
Actually means
To let someone stay and sleep in your room or home, OR (for hospitals) to keep a baby in the same room as its mother.
Usage tip
In a medical context, 'rooming in' is a standard practice in maternity care where the newborn stays in the mother's hospital room rather than a separate nursery. This is the most institutionally recognised use. The general lodging sense is less common but used informally.
Words that pair with "room in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
baby newborn mother lodger student guest hospital
How to conjugate "room in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
room in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
rooms in
he/she/it
Past simple
roomed in
yesterday
Past participle
roomed in
have + pp
-ing form
rooming in
continuous
Hear "room in" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "room in" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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