homecoming

[ hohm-kuhm-ing ]

noun

1. a return to one's home; arrival at home.
2. an annual event held by a college, university, or high school for visiting alumni.

homecoming

/ ˈhəʊmˌkʌmɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of coming home
2. an annual celebration held by a university, college, or school, for former students

Other Words From

• homecomer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of homecoming¹

First recorded in 1325–75; 1930–35 homecoming fordef 2; Middle English homcomyng; replacing Middle English hamcume, Old English hāmcyme, from hām home + cyme “arrival”; come, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

I even had a homecoming ritual, which was to lie about my return date.

From Washington Post

I remember driving to Atlanta and I couldn’t even afford a dress for the pageant, so I just wore the same homecoming queen dress that my mom had bought me.

From Ozy

Ousted from politics but still part of the WNBA, Loeffler, at minimum, faces an awkward homecoming.

From Washington Post

Though the young woman is now too busy with her homecoming date to annoy her older brother, they still make time to signal each other with fries from across the room.

From Eater

The high school crowned its homecoming king and queen, and sports teams played and scrimmaged before cheering parents, few of whom covered their faces.

From ProPublica

The Temple University concert represented something of a homecoming for Coltrane.

From The Daily Beast

The two people involved were 20-year-old students who met at an off-campus bar during Homecoming Weekend.

From The Daily Beast

His homecoming is breezily explained at the start of the episode.

From The Daily Beast

For Lennon, who had not set foot in Britain for nine years, there must have been something of a homecoming feel to the experience.

From The Daily Beast

The girl's 21-year-old elder sister told The Daily Beast: "We are going to have a big party tonight to celebrate her homecoming."

From The Daily Beast

Such a homecoming is known in all of its keen delight by only the long-absent miner or returning soldier.

From Project Gutenberg

All the sadness surrounding her homecoming could not keep out the sweet feeling of being back that stole through her senses.

From Project Gutenberg

It would be hard to exaggerate the stir which the newspapers and the public generally made over the homecoming of Mark Twain.

From Project Gutenberg

And in Ingvar's house the thralls wrought to prepare a great feast in honour of Jarl Halfden's homecoming.

From Project Gutenberg

So we went up to the great hall in silence, sorely cast down; and that was Halfden's homecoming.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• advent
• appearance
• influx
• landing
• meeting
• return