halfway house

noun

1

a

: a place to stop midway on a journey

b

: a halfway place in a progression

2

: a residence for individuals after release from institutionalization (as for mental illness, drug addiction, or criminal activity) that is designed to facilitate their readjustment to private life

Examples of halfway house in a Sentence

The car is the perfect halfway house between a family caravan and luxury sedan.

Recent Examples on the Web

So while cynics may snicker, the basic fact is that homeless shelters create negative externalities, as do landfills for trash, nuclear waste depositories, street department asphalt plants or halfway houses. —Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 19 May 2024

Ronald Grayson sued Elara Caring, its affiliated companies and others over the killing of his wife, Joyce Grayson, a 63-year-old mother of six who was found dead in the basement of a halfway house in Willimantic on Oct. 28. —Dave Collins, Fortune, 6 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

halfway house

noun

: a place that provides living quarters and usually counseling to persons who have left an institution (as a prison or mental hospital) but are not ready to live in the community

Medical Definition

halfway house

noun

half·​way house ˈhaf-ˈwā-, ˈhȧf- 

: a center for individuals after institutionalization (as for mental illness or drug addiction) that is designed to facilitate their readjustment to private life

Legal Definition

halfway house

noun

half·​way house

: a residence for formerly institutionalized individuals (as mental patients, drug addicts, or convicts) that is designed to facilitate their readjustment to private life