coworking space
/koʊˈwɜːrkɪŋ speɪs/
Very CommonA shared office people rent by the day or month, used by freelancers, remote workers, and startups.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | got a month pass at a coworking space downtown. can't work from home anymore, too many distractions | Using a coworking space as a regular home office alternative for focus. | x, 2024 |
| 02 | best thing about being a digital nomad is using coworking spaces in every city and meeting people doing the same thing | Coworking spaces function as a social network node for nomadic workers. | instagram, 2023 |
| 03 | 300 a month for a coworking space felt expensive until i compared it to my coffee shop tab | Realizing the coworking membership is cheaper than the informal alternative. | |
| 04 | new coworking space opened near me and they have a rooftop. that's it. that's the review. | A single appealing feature is enough to recommend it without further analysis. | x, 2024 |
Use it when
- Describing a shared paid work facility used by remote workers or freelancers.
- Someone works from a rented desk in a shared building rather than home or a private office.
- Discussing the infrastructure of nomadic or independent work.
Do not use it when
- You mean a corporate office that employees share with hot-desking.Use “hot desk” instead.
- You mean a cafe where people happen to work.Use “cafe” instead.
Variations and related forms
Coworking space vs coffee shop worker
coworking space
A coworking space is a dedicated paid workspace with reliable infrastructure.
VS
coffee-shop-worker
A coffee shop worker uses a cafe informally, with no guarantee of wifi, noise levels, or a seat.
Origin and context
The modern coworking movement is traced to the Hat Factory in San Francisco in 2005, opened by Brad Neuberg. WeWork, founded in 2010, scaled the model globally and popularized the term. The concept expanded rapidly during the remote work boom following COVID-19.
- First seen
- 2005
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/coworking-spaceUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0