homemade

American  

[hohm-meyd] / ˈhoʊmˈmeɪd /

adjective

1. made make 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 make in one's own country; domestic.

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

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

   the plain look of homemade furniture.

---

Etymology

Origin of homemade

First recorded in 1650–60; home + made

Example Sentences

After his interview, Bovino and three Border Patrol agents strolled into the greenroom to grab some homemade cookies while I sat on a couch.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 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

Horning said he was noncommittal, and sent the women home with jars of his homemade almond butter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

You can also use homemade, leftover rotisserie chicken if that’s in your fridge.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

Then I’d awaken the girls and we’d eat breakfast together—usually fruit, cereal, toast, and maybe homemade applesauce.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

• handmade