homelessness
Americannoun
-
lack of permanent housing, especially this condition generally as a matter of public concern.
The city partners with community groups to offer resources for youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
-
lack of a feeling of belonging; rootlessness or restlessness.
He writes about a feeling of homelessness after immigration, when he felt neither firmly bound to his native culture nor fully adapted to the new one.
Sensitive Note
See homeless ( def. ).
Etymology
Origin of homelessness
First recorded in 1810–20; homeless ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )
Explanation
Homelessness is a situation in which people don't have a place to live. A family experiencing homelessness might need to temporarily stay in a city shelter or with a relative. Homelessness is a state of being without a home. The word usually describes the circumstances of people who have fallen on hard times and don't have the money or ability to acquire a safe, stable place to live. Homelessness is a widespread problem across the U.S., with causes that include poverty, addiction, domestic violence, low wages, and lack of affordable housing.
Vocabulary lists containing homelessness
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For the past 15 years, Hansard had organised an annual Christmas Eve busking gig to raise money for homelessness charities.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
That trip was orchestrated by Kerry Morrison, founder of Hollywood 4wrd, who was looking for answers to the epidemic of severe mental illness and homelessness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
"While known to many as a genius songwriter and storyteller, for us, he was threefold that, in his generosity, a true advocate for our work and a giant in the fight against homelessness," it continued.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
She deflected when asked Friday about her responsibility for citywide homelessness, as chair of the city’s housing and homelessness committee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
The dismissed men, Burnham knew, faced homelessness and poverty; their families confronted the real prospect of starvation.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
