homecoming
Americannoun
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a return to one's home; arrival at home.
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an annual event held by a college, university, or high school for visiting alumni.
noun
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the act of coming home
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an annual celebration held by a university, college, or school, for former students
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of homecoming
First recorded in 1325–75; 1930–35 homecoming for def. 2; Middle English homcomyng; replacing Middle English hamcume, Old English hāmcyme, from hām home + cyme “arrival”; see come, -ing 1
Explanation
When someone returns home in a celebratory way — from war, college, or a long trip, for example — they have a homecoming. If your brother works at sea as a fisherman for several months each year, your whole family might gather for his homecoming. Your homecoming after your first year at college might be a bit of a letdown, if you're expected to find a summer job immediately. A soldier's homecoming is almost always a relief for his or her family. In high school or college, homecoming is a reunion that often centers around an autumn football game and a dance or party. In the U.S., this type of homecoming has been around since the 1930s.
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.
“It was a lovely kind of homecoming, a debt paid, really,” Oldman tells me in a Zoom conversation from London.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
“The Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour” is part revival meeting, part homecoming and also simply a fine evening of music.
From Salon • May 28, 2026
During City's homecoming celebrations at Manchester's Albert Hall on Sunday, fans chanted "we want Bunny to stay".
From BBC • May 18, 2026
But the Chinese government is working to ease homecoming pains.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
Saturday, the day before the homecoming festivities, was cool and overcast, but no one seemed to mind as everyone busied themselves with preparations for the big event.
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
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.
