homestead

¹ American  

[hohm-sted, -stid] / ˈhoʊm stɛd, -stɪd /

noun

1. a dwelling with its land and buildings, occupied by the owner as a home and exempted by a homestead law from seizure or sale for debt.

2. any dwelling with its land and buildings where a family makes its home.

3. a tract of land acquired under the Homestead Act.

4. a house in an urban area acquired under a homesteading program.

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verb (used with object)

1. to acquire or settle on (land) as a homestead.

   Pioneers homesteaded the valley.

verb (used without object)

1. to acquire or settle on a homestead.

   They homesteaded many years ago.

Homestead ² American  

[hohm-sted, -stid] / ˈhoʊm stɛd, -stɪd /

noun

1. a town in S Florida.

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homestead British  

/ -stɪd, ˈhəʊmˌstɛd /

noun

1. a house or estate and the adjoining land, buildings, etc, esp a farm

2. (in the US) a house and adjoining land designated by the owner as his fixed residence and exempt under the homestead laws from seizure and forced sale for debts

3. (in western Canada) a piece of land, usually 160 acres, granted to a settler by the federal government

4. the owner's or manager's residence on a sheep or cattle station; in New Zealand the term includes all outbuildings

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Etymology

Origin of homestead

First recorded before 1000; Old English hāmstede; equivalent to home + stead

Explanation

A homestead is a house and surrounding land owned by a family — often, it includes a farmhouse. Most people have homes, but not everyone has a homestead: that means your family owns more than a house. The homestead often consists of a farmhouse and land devoted to crops or animals. You'll find a lot more homesteads in rural areas than in cities. Often, a homestead is passed down from parents to children for generations.

Example Sentences

This is the stage set for the release of Caro Claire Burke’s debut novel “Yesteryear,” a satirical thriller in which Christian tradwife influencer Natalie awakes in an 1855 homestead with no explanation and no escape.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

“More importantly, the state has complex laws about community property, homestead exemptions, and tax implications that can dramatically affect how your assets pass to your heirs.”

From MarketWatch • Nov. 3, 2025

For an emotional boost, MacPhail’s daughter, son-in-law and four-week-old granddaughter met him in front of the Carson homestead in Springdale, the trail’s halfway point.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 27, 2025

Part of these traditions involved refurbishing his "simba" - or bachelor's pad within his father's homestead - into a home suitable for the couple and their three-year-old son George.

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2025

The painting showed an old man in cracked spectacles standing beside a lame horse, in the midst of a homestead that had burned to the ground, so that only the smoking ruins remained.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

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