Meaning
In Singapore property usage, bungalow refers to a detached landed house; unlike a common British interpretation, the Singapore term does not require the building to be single-storey.
How it is used
Singapore EDB explicitly notes the local semantic difference for newcomers, while the Urban Redevelopment Authority formally defines a bungalow as a detached landed house with its own land title.
Examples
- “They bought a bungalow with its own plot of land.”
- “In Singapore, a two-storey detached landed house can still be called a bungalow.”
Tone and register
Neutral and descriptive in property contexts, though individual bungalows can of course carry strong associations with wealth because of land and location.
Visitor guidance
Use the Singapore property sense when the context is local housing. Do not import a one-storey requirement from another English variety, and do not confuse ordinary bungalow with the regulated Good Class Bungalow category.
Cultural context
The local meaning is a good example of regional English semantic change: an internationally familiar word can refer to a different housing category in Singapore planning and everyday usage.
Places represented
Open the reviewed place guide for each regional sense carried by this canonical entry.