Restroom vs Washroom
Restroom and Washroom are two words that are often confused when it comes to their usage. They are often interchanged, although it is not correct to do so. The word ‘restroom’ is used in the United Kingdom to refer to places where you can sit and take rest. On the other hand, washroom is the word used to refer to toilet, especially in public places. It is an old-fashioned word chiefly used in the United States of America.
Take a look at the two sentences
1. The children went to the washroom.
2. The boy pointed out his finger at the washroom.
In both the sentences, the word ‘washroom’ is used in the sense of toilet and hence, the meaning of the first sentence would be ‘the children went to the toilet’, and the meaning of the second sentence would be ‘the boy pointed out his finger at the toilet’.
It is interesting to note that the word ‘washroom’ is not used in many countries in the sense of ‘toilet’. Sometimes, it is used in the sense of ‘handwash’. On the other hand, take a look at the following sentences
1. The old man entered the restroom.
2. The family found a restroom in the premises of the railway station.
In both the sentences, the word ‘restroom’ is used in the sense of a place to take rest or a bathroom and hence, the meaning of the first sentence would be ‘the old man entered the bathroom or men’s room’, and the meaning of the second sentence would be ‘the family found a bathroom in the premises of the railway station’ or ‘the family found a family room in the premises of the railway station’. It is interesting to note that the word ‘restroom’ sometimes refers to ‘bathroom’ in public places like railway station.