homegoing
noun
home·go·ing
ˈhōm-ˌgō-iŋ 
-ˌgȯ(-)iŋ
plural homegoings
chiefly US, especially in the culture of African Americans
: a person's death understood as a return to home
Even during 16 years of disability …, his life was filled with joy. The celebration of his homegoing will be 1:00 p.m. Thursday, February 4 …—
The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
often
: a service marking a person's death
Those who gather at Poitier's Funeral Home on Friday night for Hubert Lee's homegoing greet each other with open arms and smiles. —Deborah Work
Deborah Work These homegoings are among the most recent public memorials that reinforce a long legacy in the African American community. Going as far back as slavery, they were the only way for Black people to bury their loved ones. Slaves viewed death as the only true way to be free as they could not return to their native Africa; death meant their souls could go home to the Lord. —Candice Frederick
—often used before another noun Candice Frederick a homegoing service/celebration
Examples of homegoing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On Saturday, Hardy's homegoing celebration is taking place and begins with a family hour at 10 a.m. followed by an 11 a.m. homegoing service.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 10 Mar. 2024
And many people, less traditional than their parents, forgo the traditional homegoing altogether.
—Allison Jiang, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2024
Family and friends will gather to celebrate her life at 4 p.m. Friday in Concord Baptist Church in Milton, where a service will begin at 6 p.m. A homegoing service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday in Full Life Gospel Center in Dorchester.
—Bryan Marquard, BostonGlobe.com, 2 July 2023
The homegoing celebration will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Cathedral of Grace St. John AME Church, 2950 Bilter Road in Aurora.
—Beacon-News Staff, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2023
Last June, the church was filled again to celebrate the homegoing of Nancy Sewell, mother of Cong.
—Roy S. Johnson | Rjohnson@al.com, al, 4 May 2022
And with four of their five kids attending (or about to attend) college, Dre decided — in typical Dre fashion — to commemorate the moment in the Blackest way possible: a homegoing celebration complete with a glossy white casket and a brass band that paraded down the street.
—Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2022
His homegoing has been something to behold.
—Joshua Bote, USA TODAY, 30 July 2020
If most Black shows in the past took place outside of the South, these new shows then become a type of homegoing – back to the place where everything started, Salisbury said.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN, 18 Sep. 2022
Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 10 Mar. 2024
And many people, less traditional than their parents, forgo the traditional homegoing altogether.
—Allison Jiang, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2024
Family and friends will gather to celebrate her life at 4 p.m. Friday in Concord Baptist Church in Milton, where a service will begin at 6 p.m. A homegoing service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday in Full Life Gospel Center in Dorchester.
—Bryan Marquard, BostonGlobe.com, 2 July 2023
The homegoing celebration will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Cathedral of Grace St. John AME Church, 2950 Bilter Road in Aurora.
—Beacon-News Staff, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2023
Last June, the church was filled again to celebrate the homegoing of Nancy Sewell, mother of Cong.
—Roy S. Johnson | Rjohnson@al.com, al, 4 May 2022
And with four of their five kids attending (or about to attend) college, Dre decided — in typical Dre fashion — to commemorate the moment in the Blackest way possible: a homegoing celebration complete with a glossy white casket and a brass band that paraded down the street.
—Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2022
His homegoing has been something to behold.
—Joshua Bote, USA TODAY, 30 July 2020
If most Black shows in the past took place outside of the South, these new shows then become a type of homegoing – back to the place where everything started, Salisbury said.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN, 18 Sep. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'homegoing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near homegoing
Cite this Entry
“Homegoing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homegoing. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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