'apartment-like' originates from English compounding of the noun 'apartment' and the suffix '-like', where '-like' meant 'having the form of' or 'resembling'.

'apartment' comes from French 'appartement' (ultimately from Italian 'appartamento'), with roots in Late Latin; the suffix '-like' comes from Old English 'līc' meaning 'body, form'. The adjective compound 'apartment-like' is a modern English formation combining these elements to indicate resemblance.

Initially the elements simply meant 'an apartment' + 'having the form of'; over time the compound retained the basic sense and is used to describe things that resemble or have characteristics of an apartment.