Flat vs. Apartment
Main DifferenceThe main difference between the flat and apartment is that the word flat is commonly used in British English and the word apartment is commonly used in American English.

Difference Between Flat and Apartment
Flat vs. Apartment
The flat is a residence with a set of rooms, typically situated on one floor within a larger building and containing several such residences whereas apartment is a set of rooms designed as a residence and typically located in a building which is occupied by more than one household.
Flat vs. Apartment
The term flat is used in British English conversely the term apartment is mainly used in American English.
Flat vs. Apartment
A flat typically contains one story; on the other hand, an apartment can have multi-storeys.
Flat vs. Apartment
The flat sometimes refers to low-quality apartments while the apartment sometimes refers to luxurious and expensive flats.
Flat vs. Apartment
The flat is a residence usually occupied by middle or lower class on the flip side apartment refers to a residence mainly occupied by upper or high class.
Flatadjective
Having no variations in height.
The land around here is flat.Apartmentnoun
A complete domicile occupying only part of a building.
apartment dwellersFlatadjective
Without variations in pitch.
Apartmentnoun
(archaic) A suite of rooms within a domicile, designated for a specific person or persons and including a bedroom.
Flatadjective
(slang) Describing certain features, usually the breasts and/or buttocks, that are extremely small or not visible at all.
That girl is completely flat on both sides.Apartmentnoun
(obsolete) A division of an enclosure that is separate from others; a compartment
Flatadjective
Lowered by one semitone.
Apartmentnoun
A conceptual space used for separation in the threading architecture. Objects in one apartment cannot directly access those in another, but must use a proxy.
Flatadjective
(music) Of a note or voice, lower in pitch than it should be.
Apartmentnoun
a suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house
Flatadjective
(of a tire or other inflated object) Deflated, especially because of a puncture.
Flatadjective
Uninteresting.
The party was a bit flat.Flatadjective
Of a carbonated drink, with all or most of its carbon dioxide having come out of solution so that the drink no longer fizzes or contains any bubbles.
Flatadjective
(wine) Lacking acidity without being sweet.
Flatadjective
(of a battery) Unable to emit power; dead.
Flatadjective
Without spin; spinless.
Flatadjective
(figurative) Lacking liveliness or action; depressed; dull and boring.
The market is flat.The dialogue in your screenplay is flat -- you need to make it more exciting.Flatadjective
Absolute; downright; peremptory.
His claim was in flat contradiction to experimental results.I'm not going to the party and that's flat.Flatadjective
sonant; vocal, as distinguished from a sharp (non-sonant) consonant
Flatadjective
(grammar) Not having an inflectional ending or sign, such as a noun used as an adjective, or an adjective as an adverb, without the addition of a formative suffix; or an infinitive without the sign "to".
Many flat adverbs, as in 'run fast', 'buy cheap', etc. are from Old English.Flatadjective
Having a head at a very obtuse angle to the shaft.
Flatadjective
Flattening at the ends.
Flatadjective
Lacking in depth, substance, or believability; underdeveloped; one-dimensional.
The author created the site to flesh out the books' flatter characters, who were actually quite well developed in her own mind.Flatadverb
So as to be flat.
Spread the tablecloth flat over the table.Flatadverb
Bluntly.
I asked him if he wanted to marry me and he turned me down flat.Flatadverb
Not exceeding.
He can run a mile in four minutes flat.Flatadverb
Completely.
I am flat broke this month.Flatadverb
Directly; flatly.
Flatadverb
Without allowance for accrued interest.
Flatnoun
An area of level ground.
Flatnoun
(music) A note played a semitone lower than a natural, denoted by the symbol ♭ sign placed after the letter representing the note (e.g., B♭) or in front of the note symbol (e.g. ♭♪).
Flatnoun
A flat tyre/tire.
Flatnoun
(in the plural) A type of ladies' shoes with very low heels.
She liked to walk in her flats more than in her high heels.Flatnoun
(in the plural) A type of flat-soled running shoe without spikes.
Flatnoun
(painting) A thin, broad brush used in oil and watercolor/watercolour painting.
Flatnoun
The flat part of something:
Flatnoun
(swordfighting) The flat side of a blade, as opposed to the sharp edge.
Flatnoun
The palm of the hand, with the adjacent part of the fingers.
Flatnoun
A wide, shallow container.
a flat of strawberriesFlatnoun
(mail) A large mail piece measuring at least 8 1/2 by 11 inches, such as catalogs, magazines, and unfolded paper enclosed in large envelopes.
Flatnoun
(geometry) A subset of n-dimensional space that is congruent to a Euclidean space of lower dimension.
Flatnoun
A flat-bottomed boat, without keel, and of small draught.
Flatnoun
A straw hat, broad-brimmed and low-crowned.
Flatnoun
A railroad car without a roof, and whose body is a platform without sides; a platform car or flatcar.
Flatnoun
A platform on a wheel, upon which emblematic designs etc. are carried in processions.
Flatnoun
(mining) A horizontal vein or ore deposit auxiliary to a main vein; also, any horizontal portion of a vein not elsewhere horizontal.
Flatnoun
(obsolete) A dull fellow; a simpleton.
Flatnoun
(technical, theatre) A rectangular wooden structure covered with masonite, lauan, or muslin that depicts a building or other part of a scene, also called backcloth and backdrop.
Flatnoun
An apartment, usually on one level and usually consisting of more than one room.
Flatverb
(poker slang) To make a flat call; to call without raising.
Flatverb
(intransitive) To become flat or flattened; to sink or fall to an even surface.
Flatverb
To fall from the pitch.
Flatverb
To depress in tone, as a musical note; especially, to lower in pitch by half a tone.
Flatverb
To make flat; to flatten; to level.
Flatverb
To render dull, insipid, or spiritless; to depress.
Flatnoun
a level tract of land
Flatnoun
a shallow box in which seedlings are started
Flatnoun
a musical notation indicating one half step lower than the note named
Flatnoun
freight car without permanent sides or roof
Flatnoun
a deflated pneumatic tire
Flatnoun
scenery consisting of a wooden frame covered with painted canvas; part of a stage setting
Flatnoun
a suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house
Flatadjective
having a horizontal surface in which no part is higher or lower than another;
a flat deskacres of level farmlanda plane surfaceFlatadjective
having no depth or thickness
Flatadjective
not modified or restricted by reservations;
a categorical deniala flat refusalFlatadjective
stretched out and lying at full length along the ground;
found himself lying flat on the floorFlatadjective
lacking contrast or shading between tones
Flatadjective
lowered in pitch by one chromatic semitone;
B flatC sharpFlatadjective
flattened laterally along the whole length (e.g., certain leafstalks or flatfishes)
Flatadjective
lacking taste or flavor or tang;
a bland dietinsipid hospital foodflavorless supermarket tomatoesvapid beervapid teaFlatadjective
lacking stimulating characteristics; uninteresting;
a bland little dramaa flat jokeFlatadjective
having lost effervescence;
flat beera flat colaFlatadjective
not increasing as the amount taxed increases
Flatadjective
not made with leavening;
most flat breads are made from unleavened doughFlatadjective
parallel to the ground;
a flat roofFlatadjective
without pleats
Flatadjective
lacking the expected range or depth; not designed to give an illusion or depth;
a film with two-dimensional charactersa flat two-dimensional paintingFlatadjective
(of a tire) completely or partially deflated
Flatadjective
not reflecting light; not glossy;
flat wall painta photograph with a matte finishFlatadjective
lacking variety in shading;
a flat unshaded paintingFlatadverb
at full length;
he fell flat on his faceFlatadverb
with flat sails;
sail flat against the windFlatadverb
below the proper pitch;
she sang flat last nightFlatadverb
against a flat surface;
he lay flat on his backFlatadverb
in a forthright manner; candidly or frankly;
he didn't answer directlytold me straight outcame out flat for less work and more payFlatadverb
wholly or completely;
He is flat brokeComparison Chart
Flat | Apartment |
A suite of rooms in a larger building containing several such other residences | A suite of rooms forming one residence |
Language | |
British or UK English | American English |
Occupied by | |
Middle or lower class | Upper class |
Features | |
Less luxurious with fewer amenities | More luxurious with more amenities |
Storeys | |
One | Multi |
Located | |
On only one floor | On many floors |
Flat vs. Apartment
The flat is a set of rooms for living in, usually on one floor of a building. The apartment is a set of rooms for living in, usually on many floors of a building. Both words refer to a residential unit that is rented out to tenants. The term “flat” is commonly used in British English. The word “apartment” is more occasionally used in American English. Flats are typically the part of a larger building. Apartments are self-contained private residences within a larger building. A flat mainly has a set of rooms but is likely to have them all on one level. An apartment may consist of many rooms, spread across a couple of floors inside a building on one level of a building. It is worth noting that the word “flat” is still used in American English and the word “apartment” exists in British English. A flat is a luxurious apartment in the United States. In the United Kingdoms, an apartment is an upscale flat and an apartment with many rooms set within a house. Flat refers to a regular flat that may or may not have a lot of amenities. Apartment tends to imply a better flat or one with more amenities and luxuries. Both words are used in the United Kingdom. A flat is generally an ordinary residence that does not constitute the entire space within a building. An apartment generally tends to imply a similar concept, but more luxurious. In this way, the flat is a residence usually occupied by the middle or lower class. While apartment refers to a residence mainly occupied by upper or high class.
What is Flat?
This term flat is mainly used in British English. The term flat is derived from the Old English word ‘flat,’ which means “floor” or “dwelling.” It implies to an apartment or a residential unit that is rented out to tenants. A flat usually implies a set of rooms that are located on only one floor. It is a set of rooms forming an individual residence, typically on one floor and within a larger building with several such residences. The definitions of flat from different sources assert that the flat only contains a single storey. This term commonly refers to apartments without a stair. The term “flat,” however, is used in Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, and other areas that use British English. In North America, the term “flat” is mostly used to refer to upscale apartments. In some countries, the term flat is known as housing units of lesser quality meant for low-income or mediocre families. Flat tends to imply a regular residence that may not have a lot of amenities, and that is less luxurious.
What is Apartment?
The apartment is a set of rooms for living in, usually on one floor of a building. The term apartment is derived from the French word ‘apartment’ meaning “a separated place.” It is a type of residential unit which occupies a larger building called an apartment complex, apartment building, or a tower block. The term apartment is largely preferred in American English. The American dictionaries define the apartment as a room or suite of rooms typically designed as a residence. It is generally located in a building occupied by more than one household. However, in British English, an apartment mainly refers to a flat that is well appointed or used for holidays. Also, an apartment may not be limited to only a single floor. In common, apartments refer to luxurious and expensive flats with a lot of amenities. The apartment is known as a residential unit inside a large structure or building which contains many other such dwelling units. Apartments are also called bachelor, studio, furnished, or unfurnished. Apartment usually indicates a dwelling that is more upper class or luxurious with more amenities than a traditional flat.
ConclusionFlats and apartments are residential units with some differences typically in their varying meaning in British and American English.