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.
It also removed exemptions for veterans, young adults who aged out of foster care, and people experiencing homelessness.
From Slate • Apr. 19, 2026
He added that the studies also point to immediate policy responses and broader efforts to reduce the risk of homelessness before and after disasters.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
It’s betting that in doing so developers can build low-income homes quicker and cheaper in a county with a bruising affordability and homelessness crisis.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
Since 2020 homelessness has increased while employment has declined.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
The dismissed men, Burnham knew, faced homelessness and poverty; their families confronted the real prospect of starvation.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
