What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Hospital vs Asylum - What's the difference?

hospital | asylum |

As nouns the difference between hospital and asylum

is that hospital is a building designed to diagnose and treat the sick, injured or dying usually has a staff of doctors and nurses to aid in the treatment of patients while asylum is a place of safety.

As an adjective hospital

is (obsolete) hospitable.

hospital

Noun

(en noun)
  • A building designed to diagnose and treat the sick, injured or dying. Usually has a staff of doctors and nurses to aid in the treatment of patients.
  • A building founded for the long term care of its residents, such as an almshouse. The residents may have no physical ailments, but simply need financial support.
  • (obsolete) A place of lodging.
  • * , II.ix:
  • they spide a goodly castle, plast / Foreby a riuer in a pleasaunt dale, / Which choosing for that euenings hospitale , / They thither marcht [...].
  • The place and state of being hospitalized.
  • Luckily an ambulance arrived quickly and he was rushed to hospital .

    Synonyms

    * (l)

    Derived terms

    * cottage hospital

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (obsolete) hospitable
  • (Howell)
    1000 English basic words ----

    asylum

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A place of safety.
  • The protection, physical and legal, afforded by such a place.
  • A place of protection or restraint for one or more classes of the disadvantaged, especially the mentally ill.
  • * , chapter=5
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=Of all the queer collections of humans outside of a crazy asylum , it seemed to me this sanitarium was the cup winner.

    Synonyms

    * sanctuary * shelter

    Derived terms

    * insane asylum * mental asylum * orphan asylum * asylum seeker

    See also

    * refugee ----