Phrase guide

leper colony

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

An isolated community used to house lepers, usually in permanent quarantine from the rest of society.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Popularized during the period of New Imperialism, when leprosy was largely absent in Europe but seen as a growing threat in its colonial empires.

Across languages

Translations

45 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: melaatse kolonie — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Belarusian: лепразорый (ljeprazóryj) — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Bulgarian: лепрозо́рий (leprozórij) — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Chinese Mandarin: 麻風村 /麻风村 (máfēngcūn) — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Czech: leprosárium — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Dutch: leprozerie — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Dutch: lazerij — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Dutch: leprakolonie — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Estonian: leprosoorium — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • French: léproserie — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Galician: leprosaría — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Galician: leprosería — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Galician: malataría — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • German: Leprakolonie — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • German: Leprosorium — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • German: Leprastation — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Greek: λεπροκομείο (leprokomeío) — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Icelandic: holdsveikraspítali — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Ido: leprozeyo — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Italian: lebbrosario — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Italian: lebbrasorio — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Kazakh: лепрозорий (leprozorii) — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Kyrgyz: лепрозорий (leprozoriy) — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Latin: leprosarium — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Latin: leprosaria — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Lithuanian: leprozoriumas — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Norwegian Bokmål: leprosarium — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: leprosarium — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Ossetian: лепрозори (leprozori) — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Polish: leprozorium — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Portuguese: leprosaria — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Portuguese: leprosário — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Russian: лепрозо́рий (leprozórij) — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Serbo-Croatian: лепрозаријум — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Serbo-Croatian: leprozarijum — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Spanish: leprosería — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Swedish: spetälskesjukhus — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Tajik: махавхона (maxavxona) — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Tajik: табобатхонаи махавҳо (tabobatxona-yi maxavho) — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Tatar: лепрозорий (leprozoriy) — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Turkish: miskinhane — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Turkmen: leprozoriý — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Ukrainian: лепрозорій (leprozorij) — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Uzbek: leprozoriy — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Uzbek: moxovxona — isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery