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.
Sensitivity
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.
She ran on cutting homelessness, increasing housing in the city, saving Hollywood jobs from continued cuts and protecting residents from immigration enforcement efforts.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
In her district, homelessness has declined, and she has called out Bass for the high cost, slow pace and low returns of the mayor’s efforts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
The city has struggled in recent years with persistent homelessness, sky-high housing prices, job losses in Hollywood and the deadly wildfires last year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
And while homelessness has declined from its 2023 peak, more than 29,000 people still were sleeping on the streets earlier this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
The obvious solution to my homelessness concerned me only briefly.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
