In one's own residence, town, or country. For example, Mary was not at home when I called , or Tourists in a foreign country often behave more rudely than they do at home . This idiom was first recorded in a ninth-century treatise.
another name for open day
a social gathering in a person's home
In one's own residence, town, or country. For example, Mary was not at home when I called , or Tourists in a foreign country often behave more rudely than they do at home . This idiom was first recorded in a ninth-century treatise.
Ready to receive a visitor, as in We are always at home to our neighbor's children . This usage gave rise to the noun at-home , meaning a reception to which guests are invited on a specific day at specific hours (also see open house ). [c. 1600]
Also, at home with . Comfortable and familiar, as in Mary always makes us feel at home , or I've never been at home with his style of management . [Early 1500s] Also see at ease , def. 1.
Also, at home with . Proficient, well-versed in, as in Young John is so much at home with numbers that he may well become a mathematician , or Chris is really at home in French . [Late 1700s]
In team sports, playing on one's own field or in one's own town. For example, The Red Sox always do better at home than they do at away games .
First recorded in 1740–45
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Americans have largely heard about the famous French creche system of public daycares, but the French government also subsidizes the kind of one-on-one at-home care that many parents of infants prefer.
From Slate ● Jul. 6, 2026
Renzi Stone, who runs a boutique marketing strategy firm in Oklahoma City, recently started spending around $800 a month on Alpha’s at-home software platform for his son, who just finished eighth grade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
Looking back, the 21-year-old said she wished at-home self-test DNA kits had been available, as she had to attend a forensic medical examination in person.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
The mother and eldest son have dozens of ICE check-in appointments and at-home visits scheduled for the next couple of months.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
She’s sprawled out on my air mattress wearing a hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants—her at-home uniform.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
As a result, it may not represent the complete range of foods that parents ultimately serve their toddlers at home.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
Forget FOMO: Fear of financial regret is keeping younger Americans at home on Saturday night.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
A further 27,797 people have been ordered to stay at home.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
If Tokyo signals another rate hike, the message is simple: America’s biggest foreign lender wants its money at home.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
When I came out of the bathroom, someone had made themselves at home in my easy chair.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
Definitions 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.
