In America it can mean either, though in college it usually refers to a dorm mate, which often house 2 people. It also describes people who share an apartment/house but have separate rooms.
In Britain, no one would think roommates slept in the same room. The possible words for that would be ones like spouse or sibling and anyone else sharing a bedroom outside of an army barracks or youth hostel would be super weird.
In America it can mean either, though in college it usually refers to a dorm mate, which often house 2 people. It also describes people who share an apartment/house but have separate rooms.
That’s because the typical American is a semi literate troglodyte, anywhere else you would refer to someone like that as a flatmate or housemate.
You must be British.
Bri’ish*
In Britain, no one would think roommates slept in the same room. The possible words for that would be ones like spouse or sibling and anyone else sharing a bedroom outside of an army barracks or youth hostel would be super weird.
No, I just use words properly.