home front

¹ American

noun

the civilian sector of a nation at war when its armed forces are in combat abroad.

home front ² American

[hohm fruhnt] / ˈhoʊm ˌfrʌnt /

noun

the civilian population of a country at war and the activities of this population.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

home-front

adjective

Etymology

Origin of home front

First recorded in 1915–20

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.

The government is also tightening up the home front.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

During World War I and World War II, Americans on the home front made huge sacrifices to support the war effort.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

There could also be good news for Nvidia on the home front as xAI, Elon Musk’s AI company, completed a $20 billion Series E funding round, surpassing its $15 billion target.

From Barron's • Jan. 7, 2026

Not for us on the home front, where we watched them in six-minute segments on CNN and the evening news that aired between commercials for credit cards.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2025

As the men sailed off to war, the business owners who manned the home front were in a pickle.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023