Quantcast
Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
  • Dictionary
  • Thesaurus
  • Scrabble
  • Spanish Central
  • Learner's Dictionary

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

homecoming

play
noun home·com·ing \ˈhōm-ˌkə-miŋ\

Simple Definition of homecoming

  • : the act of returning to your home or to a place that is like your home

  • : an annual celebration for people who attended a college or university

  • : an annual celebration for high-school students that includes sports games and a formal dance

Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary

Full Definition of homecoming

  1. 1 :  a return home

  2. 2 :  the return of a group of people usually on a special occasion to a place formerly frequented or regarded as home; especially :  an annual celebration for alumni at a college or university

See homecoming defined for English-language learners

See homecoming defined for kids



Examples of homecoming in a sentence

  1. A large crowd gathered at the airport for the soldiers' homecoming.



14th Century

First Known Use of homecoming

14th century

HOMECOMING Defined for Kids

homecoming

play
noun home·com·ing \ˈhōm-ˌkə-miŋ\

Definition of homecoming for Students

  1. :  a return home



Learn More about homecoming

  1. Spanish Central: Translation of homecoming Nglish: Translation of homecoming for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up homecoming? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

WORD OF THE DAY

tantivy

play

at a gallop

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. demagogic, demagogue "irresponsible, reckless rhetoric"

  2. skittle What is a 'skittle'?

  3. hubris, pariah Powell's take on Trump

  4. deplorable Clinton: "Basket of deplorables"

  5. sophomoric "It's a sophomoric approach"

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

homecoming

WORD GAMES

Take a 3-minute break and test your skills!

alphabet-pasta-spelling-help

Which is the correct spelling?

acommadate accommodate acommodate accomodate
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

between-you-and-i
'Between You and I'

Don't let this phrase come between you

shopping-mall
'Mall': It's Not Just for Shopping

It used to be all fun and games

three-sheets-to-the-wind
10 Words and Phrases with Nautical Origins

Take to the sea

prone-vs-supine
Prone vs. Supine vs. Prostrate

Don't take this lying down

Ask the Editors

subjunctive
How to Use the Subjunctive in English

If I were you, I'd watch this

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

alphabet-pasta-spelling-help
Difficult Spelling Words Quiz

Can you spell these 15 tricky spelling words?

Take the quiz
who-knew-quiz
Who Knew?

Take this quiz and discover 12 words for things you didn't know had words.

Take the quiz
Name That Thing
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

Take the quiz
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game
Examples: homecoming in a sentence