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.
Most of the problems were tied to federal officials' decision to let the military create the sprawling tent city of Camp East Montana, which was then taken over by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the GAO. Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 9 June 2026 His family was rescued from a refugee camp in Guam with the help of AP reporter Linda Deutsch, who was covering the tent city, and flown to Camp Pendleton. ABC News, 26 May 2026 The result can be seen in Al-Mina camp, a tent city abutting Obeid’s northern entrance that is now hosting no fewer than 49,000 people, with more coming by the day, said Mounir Ibrahim, a social researcher with the government. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026 The increase can be seen around the city as more tent cities pop up, Shaw Thompson said. Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 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 13 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

tent city

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