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.
The SNP councillor said: "The Accounts Commission recognises that many of those challenges are not unique to Glasgow – and that others, such as the pressure on homelessness budgets, are not of the city's making."
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
The spending watchdog also said homelessness costs were adding "significant additional pressure", which is expected to cost the council £56m this year.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
He pointed to his Reffettorio project, which uses food and design to provide meals for people experiencing poverty and homelessness.
From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2026
At a deeper level, it challenges the accepted meaning of homelessness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
The obvious solution to my homelessness concerned me only briefly.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
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.
