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

She is scheduled to be transferred to a halfway house in 2027 and slated for release in 2030. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026

Holmes is expected to transfer to a halfway house outside Austin in August. — Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Holmes remains scheduled for release from prison in 2030, but she is expected to move to a halfway house in Texas in August 2027. — Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2026

Last week, a judge approved Holmes’ transfer too the Austin Transitional Center, a halfway house in Del Valle, Texas, on August 23, 2027. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for halfway house

• boardinghouse
• charterhouse
• clearinghouse
• coffeehouse
• customhouse
• firehouse
• meetinghouse
• motherhouse
• packinghouse
• pilothouse
• powerhouse
• slaughterhouse

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