homemade

American  

[hohm-meyd] / ˈhoʊmˈmeɪd /

adjective

1. 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.

2. made in one's own country; domestic.

   I prefer a homemade car to one of those foreign models.

3. made, contrived, or assembled by oneself; not professionally made or done; amateurish.

   the plain look of homemade furniture.

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Etymology

Origin of homemade

First recorded in 1650–60; home + made

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.

Example Sentences

The homemade hot sauce he brought for lunch was a hit with co-workers who asked for more.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

As important, our neighbors quickly embraced us, popping over occasionally with gifts of homemade “kulen” sausage or home-brewed plum brandy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

You can buy Mexican food and artisanal margaritas and enjoy free homemade baked goods.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

But when the box arrived and I opened it, I found something I wasn’t expecting: a container of homemade Irish potatoes.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

Mong showed us how to dig a little hole in the sand and line it with a bunch of small rocks for a homemade barbecue pit.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña

Related Words

• handmade