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.
But the problem with that method, Beach said, is that once families are residing in a hotel, they can no longer be verified as homeless by Cincinnati Behavioral and can’t get on the wait list for shelter. Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Oct. 2025 Others were harder to discern, like a boy being swept away by a tornado, or homeless men being inserted into people’s homes. Andrew R. Chow, Time, 20 Oct. 2025 Now, the number of homeless people on the streets in the Phoenix area is larger than ever. Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 20 Oct. 2025 Even so, the city has a high cost of housing – over $3,600 for the median household – and has consistently been home to a small homeless population, which city leaders have attributed both to those who work and study in the city and those who come to the city from elsewhere. Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 16 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 23 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
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