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.
Army veteran Doug Cohen attends a Stand Down event designed to help veterans who are homeless or housing insecure on June 16, 2023, in Chicago. Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025 But the latest numbers also show that the gang violence is spreading to other regions of Haiti and inching close to the 1.5 million left homeless by Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 11 June 2025 Spike mutations … Full Story Around the Nation Local and state headlines on health care: Portland spent $1.3 billion to improve the lives and safety of its homeless people. Joseph Choi, The Hill, 11 June 2025 According to a 2023 Rand Corp. study, L.A. County homeless service workers on average earn about $40,000 to $60,000 a year, leaving little left after paying for rent and other necessities. Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 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 15 Jun. 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!