homeless

adjective

home·​less ˈhōm-ləs How to pronounce homeless (audio)
: having no home or permanent place of residence : unhoused
homelessness noun

Examples of homeless in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The goal is to get a congress of 15, with at least eight members coming from Cincinnati's homeless shelters and seven representing people who live outdoors or in temporary housing. Elizabeth B. Kim, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Oct. 2025 Before referrals were halted, the effort that placed people at the Civic had already moved hard-to-reach homeless people from the street to a shelter space and, in many cases, then on to long-term housing and stability. Ashley Hiruko, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2025 Whalen described one recent encounter where a homeless person blew fentanyl smoke in his face. Brian Mann, NPR, 5 Oct. 2025 In August, the commissioners approved $2 million in funding for Metro Lutheran Ministries to purchase, rehab and create 16 low-income housing units for those who are chronically homeless. Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for homeless

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of homeless was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Homeless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homeless. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

homeless

adjective
home·​less -ləs How to pronounce homeless (audio)
: having no home or permanent residence
homelessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on homeless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!