noun

• 1A residential institution for the care and education of orphans.

  ‘Some children are abandoned and end up in orphanages, which have a difficult time caring for them.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Orphans from orphanages in northeastern Bulgaria work on the farm and produce milk from the cows.’
  • ‘She spent her childhood in orphanages, reform schools, and mental institutions.’
  • ‘A few end up in orphanages, who then pass them on to people from the First World who are desperate for children.’
  • ‘In this way, the children are not sent off to orphanages or big institutions, but remain part of the community.’
  • ‘In China, many of them are living in institutions, orphanages or homes where their parents cannot manage.’
  • ‘More than 100,000 children still live in state care, many in grim orphanages.’
  • ‘The number of orphanages and other similar institutions should be known to the State and Central Governments.’
  • ‘On festive days, food and sweets are distributed to the children and inmates of orphanages by the club.’
  • ‘The children she visits at 45 orphanages are not really orphans at all.’
  • ‘The group is travelling to Romania on June 20 to work in two orphanages.’
  • ‘If no one had use for the 43,000 bags, why couldn't they be donated to orphanages or even to the growing army of street kids?’
  • ‘They will then be taken to the government-run children's homes and orphanages and provided with an education.’
  • ‘The trust offers work experience in orphanages, hospitals and schools as well as environmental development projects.’
  • ‘Linda and Sandy were brought up in orphanages and by foster parents in America who cut the girls' links with their Southampton family.’
  • ‘For two weeks they will be involved in building work, painting, decorating and gardening at the privately owned orphanages.’
  • ‘So Robert carried on with his humanitarian work in schools and orphanages, but he worked towards raising the money for the hospital too.’
  • ‘For two weeks, the under fives brought in soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste and small gifts to send to the orphanages of Romania.’
  • ‘They will be handed out to children in orphanages, hospitals, special schools and street shelters for homeless youngsters.’
  • ‘Most of these are operating charities, such as the Red Cross, or orphanages, rather than cash-generating schemes.’

• 2archaic mass noun The state or condition of being an orphan.

  More example sentences

  • ‘A woman with AIDS, whose child faces not just the risk of early orphanage, but an early death.’