Flat vs. Apartment

Main Difference

The 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.

Flat vs. Apartment — Is There a Difference?
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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.
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Apartmentnoun

A complete domicile occupying only part of a building.

apartment dwellers

Flatadjective

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.

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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 strawberries

Flatnoun

(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 surface

Flatadjective

having no depth or thickness

Flatadjective

not modified or restricted by reservations;

a categorical deniala flat refusal

Flatadjective

stretched out and lying at full length along the ground;

found himself lying flat on the floor

Flatadjective

lacking contrast or shading between tones

Flatadjective

lowered in pitch by one chromatic semitone;

B flatC sharp

Flatadjective

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 tea

Flatadjective

lacking stimulating characteristics; uninteresting;

a bland little dramaa flat joke

Flatadjective

having lost effervescence;

flat beera flat cola

Flatadjective

not increasing as the amount taxed increases

Flatadjective

not made with leavening;

most flat breads are made from unleavened dough

Flatadjective

parallel to the ground;

a flat roof

Flatadjective

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 painting

Flatadjective

(of a tire) completely or partially deflated

Flatadjective

not reflecting light; not glossy;

flat wall painta photograph with a matte finish

Flatadjective

lacking variety in shading;

a flat unshaded painting

Flatadverb

at full length;

he fell flat on his face

Flatadverb

with flat sails;

sail flat against the wind

Flatadverb

below the proper pitch;

she sang flat last night

Flatadverb

against a flat surface;

he lay flat on his back

Flatadverb

in a forthright manner; candidly or frankly;

he didn't answer directlytold me straight outcame out flat for less work and more pay

Flatadverb

wholly or completely;

He is flat broke

Comparison 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.

Conclusion

Flats and apartments are residential units with some differences typically in their varying meaning in British and American English.