What is the definition of "condominium?"

This is one of those situations where the legal definition of a word is different than its every day usage. Under Hawaii condominium law, a condominium is a special way of owning property. In the United States, condominiums could not exist until laws were adopted to permit them. Until the condominium statutes were adopted, someone owning the land automatically owned everything on it. If 100 people owned the land, they all jointly owned everything on it.

Hawaii Revised Statutes §514A-3 defines condominium as this special way of owning property. It states that a condominium is, "the ownership of single units, with common elements, located on property within the condominium property regime." In a condominium property regime, every member owns their own apartment or unit and all the members jointly own the common elements.

Even though this is the legal definition of condominium, most people (me included) often use it to refer to the condominium apartment or the condominium project. There's nothing wrong with that and it rarely has any consequences as long as everyone realizes what you're talking about.