homelessness
Americannoun
-
lack of permanent housing, especially this condition generally as a matter of public concern.
The city partners with community groups to offer resources for youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
-
lack of a feeling of belonging; rootlessness or restlessness.
He writes about a feeling of homelessness after immigration, when he felt neither firmly bound to his native culture nor fully adapted to the new one.
Sensitive Note
See homeless ( def. ).
Etymology
Origin of homelessness
First recorded in 1810–20; homeless ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )
Explanation
Homelessness is a situation in which people don't have a place to live. A family experiencing homelessness might need to temporarily stay in a city shelter or with a relative. Homelessness is a state of being without a home. The word usually describes the circumstances of people who have fallen on hard times and don't have the money or ability to acquire a safe, stable place to live. Homelessness is a widespread problem across the U.S., with causes that include poverty, addiction, domestic violence, low wages, and lack of affordable housing.
Vocabulary lists containing homelessness
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.
Even with those obstacles, the city has reduced unsheltered homelessness by double digits since 2023, while also housing more than 1,000 homeless veterans, Bass said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
“People experiencing homelessness — and the communities impacted by this crisis — care less about esoteric debates over the numbers,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
The council said it was committed to making Belfast "the best it can be" and to tackling the challenges around homelessness, addiction and anti-social behaviour.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Government spending on homelessness, which relies largely on nonprofits to operate shelters and other housing sites around L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Consider the recent history of homelessness in the United States.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
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.
