Washroom, bathroom, and restroom all refer to rooms with a toilet and sink, so the terms often overlap. The main difference is how people use them in different settings and regions. In Canada, “washroom” is common for public facilities, while Americans usually say “restroom.” “Bathroom” is the usual term for a room in a home and may include a bathtub or shower. These definitions are not absolute, but the table below shows the most common usage.
| Term | Most Common Meaning | Typical Setting | Regional Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom | A private room that may include a toilet, sink, bathtub, or shower | Homes, condos, and hotels | Common throughout Canada and the United States |
| Washroom | A room with toilets and sinks for public use | Malls, airports, theatres, and workplaces | Most common in Canada |
| Restroom | A public toilet facility with toilets and sinks | Restaurants, offices, shops, and government buildings | Most common in the United States |
What Does Washroom Mean?
Merriam-Webster defines “washroom” as a room equipped with washing and toilet facilities. Although the word is now strongly associated with Canada, its history isn’t exclusively Canadian. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the word’s earliest known use to 1768.
Today, “washroom” is the term most associated with Canadian English, while facilities across the border are more likely to be called a restroom or bathroom. It’s a small vocabulary difference, but one that’s become a recognizable marker of Canadian speech.
What Does Restroom Mean?
“Restroom” originally referred to a room set aside for rest or relaxation rather than specifically to a room with a toilet. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the word to at least the mid-1800s, with its earliest known evidence dating to before 1856.
Over time, “restroom” developed its familiar North American meaning of a toilet or lavatory. Today, it is especially common in American English for public facilities in restaurants, offices, stores and other public buildings. Canadians use the term as well, although “washroom” is more strongly associated with Canadian English.
What Does Bathroom Mean?
“Bathroom” is the oldest of the three terms. The Oxford English Dictionary traces known examples back to 1685. As its name suggests, it originally referred to a room intended for bathing.
In modern Canadian English, “bathroom” commonly refers to a room in a private home that contains a toilet, sink, and often a bathtub or shower. It’s widely used in Canada but tends to refer specifically to private dwellings, while “washroom” covers public facilities. In the United States, “bathroom” is also commonly used for both private and public facilities.
Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s focus on the most common types of bathrooms, the names they are called, and the meanings behind those names. I do want to preface this by saying that this is by no means an exhaustive list of names, types, or functions of these rooms. A friend of mine just returned from a Colombian jungle, where he used a very different type of restroom with a name I cannot remember or pronounce, which had a deep spiritual meaning. But that’s a story for another blog post altogether.
Why Do Canadians Say Washroom?
Although “washroom” is now strongly associated with Canadian English, I’ll admit the term wasn’t originally exclusive to Canada. The Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles lists it as a Canadian English term, even though evidence of the word dates back centuries. My guess: less about Canada inventing something distinct, more about Canadians holding onto a term that fell out of use south of the border.
Common Types of Bathrooms
For simplicity’s sake and to keep this short, we’ve put together this brief list of different types of bathrooms:
Conclusion
As you can imagine, there are many more terms used to describe the same or slightly different types of bathrooms. Depending on where you live or even which part of the country you’re in, different words might be used to describe one type of bathroom or another. After many years of working in the Ottawa bathroom renovation industry, we’re still sometimes puzzled and confused by a new term for an age-old concept.
We hope you found this information useful and want to thank you for stopping by and reading this article.
Sincerely,
The iBathrooms Creative Team
Ben W.
Check out more: 5 Common Mistakes to Avoid During a Bathroom Renovation