homemade
Americanadjective
-
made or prepared at home, locally, or by the maker's own efforts.
The restaurant's pastry is homemade. Breakfast at the farmhouse always meant homemade preserves.
-
made in one's own country; domestic.
I prefer a homemade car to one of those foreign models.
-
made, contrived, or assembled by oneself; not professionally made or done; amateurish.
the plain look of homemade furniture.
Etymology
Origin of homemade
Explanation
Something that's homemade is created by a real person, usually in their own house, rather than being mass-produced. Your dad's homemade apple pie is the best you've ever tasted. Your famous homemade chocolate chip cookies are likely to be a bigger hit at the bake sale than a box of ginger snaps dumped on a plate. And the homemade sweater you got for your birthday might be a little itchy, but it's special because your aunt lovingly knitted it herself, using yarn in your favorite color. Homemade things aren't just made at home — they're also usually made with more care than goods produced in factories.
Vocabulary lists containing homemade
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.
My pantry is always stocked with: homemade sauces and seasoning blends.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
She remains awed that the show’s viewers — most of whom don’t agree with her politics — have acknowledged her personal milestones with warm greetings and homemade gifts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
In further comments to the Focus news outlet, a spokesman for the operator said homemade projectiles, resembling fireworks typically used on New Year's Eve in Germany, were used in the attack.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
It might also mean a thick slice of homemade apple Bundt cake under a generous coat of cream cheese icing, eaten with coffee.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
“She keeps talking about a birthday feast. Which means we’ll be in the kitchen for hours, making something that will be eaten in ten minutes. Like homemade samosas or something.”
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
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.
