tent city

noun

plural tent cities
: a collection of many tents set up in an area to provide usually temporary shelter (as for people who don't have a permanent place of residence)
Tent cities of displaced homeowners have sprung up …Matt Woolsey
Anti-sweatshop protesters at FSU pitched a tent city last March to demand that the school join the Workers Rights Consortium …Meline Toumani et al.

Examples of tent city 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.
Trump reopened it a few months later, as part of a $45 billion expansion of the immigration detention system that has also involved Guantánamo Bay, tent cities on military bases, and converted warehouses. Caitlin Dickerson, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026 Some nights, that can mean as many as four random checks that force occupants of the tent city to wake up and produce their student IDs. David Ubben, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026 To power the generators and light the tent city, the site uses up to 12,000 gallons of diesel. Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026 The two helicopters involved flew a dozen total loads of cargo from the icebreaker ship to the camp site, while glacial scientists and engineers erected a small tent city, complete with bathrooms, generators, and a mess hall. Joe Wilkins Published Jan 28, Futurism, 28 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tent city

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tent city was in 1838

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Cite this Entry

“Tent city.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tent%20city. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

tent city

noun
: a group of many tents set up to provide usually temporary shelter (as for displaced or homeless people)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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