homeless

1 of 2

adjective

home·​less ˈhōm-ləs How to pronounce homeless (audio)
: having no home or permanent place of residence : unhoused
homelessness noun

homelessness

2 of 2

noun

home·​less·​ness
plural -es
: the quality or state of being homeless

Examples of homeless in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Staving off a battle over control of homeless services, Los Angeles County has agreed in principle to let the city of Los Angeles control who gets placed in city shelters and housing. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026 Back in August, city crews cleared a homeless encampment at Pig's Eye Park, and many of the campers denied offers of shelter, moving near the intersection of Shepard Road and Randolph Avenue by the apartment building instead. — Ashley Grams, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026 His organization distributes cash and food including rice and beans to help ease the hunger, but challenges remain, especially involving those left homeless by gang violence who are forced to move from one makeshift shelter to another. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026 The unsheltered homeless population, which made up about 62% of overall homeless Californians in 2026, refers to people who sleep outside in tents, cars or other makeshift shelters. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for homeless

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1814, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of homeless was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing homeless

Browse Nearby Words

homeland
homeless
homelessness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Homeless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homeless. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

homeless

adjective
home·​less -ləs How to pronounce homeless (audio)
: having no home or permanent residence
homelessness noun
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