homeless
homeless Lexical Profile
homeless Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Having no home or permanent place of residence; lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing.
"The city council allocated emergency funds to expand winter shelter capacity for homeless families."
• noun
People who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate residence, considered collectively (usually preceded by 'the' and treated as plural).
"Local volunteers organized a community kitchen to provide hot meals and medical care for the homeless."
Word Nuance & Usage
When used as a noun, 'homeless' functions as a nominalized adjective (typically preceded by 'the', as in 'the homeless') and takes a plural verb. In contemporary social and policy contexts, person-first language such as 'unhoused people' or 'people experiencing homelessness' is often preferred over the collective noun 'the homeless' to avoid defining individuals solely by their housing status.
• Rhymes for homeless
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English hāmlēas ('without a home'), formed from hām ('home, dwelling') and the privative suffix -lēas ('without, free from').