homegoing
Americannoun
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a person's death, regarded as the passage to a heavenly home with God, especially observed as a cultural tradition in African American communities.
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Also homegoing service. a funeral, especially in African American communities, celebrating a deceased person's passage to heaven with joy, reflection, and uplifting music.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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 funeral on Wednesday had all the hallmarks of what’s known as a homegoing service in Black American communities: comforting gospel hymns, remembrances from loved ones and a stirring eulogy from a clergyman.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 2, 2023
What are y'all wearing to Twitter's homegoing service?
From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2022
If I were Elizabeth, she would not be welcome at my homegoing service.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2022
A few minutes earlier, the two-hour Baptist homegoing service, filled with laughter, tears, applause, music, singing and a few amens, had concluded with a procession.
From New York Times ● Oct. 12, 2021
“No matter the circumstances, this is a homegoing celebration. Weeping may endure for a night, but how many of you know that JOY—!” He doesn’t even finish and people shout.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
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.
