Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Lacking a permanent place of residence; without a home: Describes a person, family, or group that does not have a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
   • Deprived of security, stability, or a sense of belonging: Can describe a state of being physically or emotionally without a secure base.
   • Stateless; without nationality or citizenship: Describes a person not recognized as a citizen by any country.

2. Noun (plural: the homeless):

   • People who are without a home: Used with a definite article ("the") to refer collectively to homeless people as a group.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The charity provides meals for homeless individuals.
  • After the fire, the family was left homeless.
  • The documentary highlighted the plight of homeless veterans.

• Noun (the homeless):

  • The city is increasing shelter capacity for the homeless.
  • Volunteers distributed blankets to the homeless during the winter.

Advanced Usage

• "chronically homeless": Refers to individuals who have been homeless for a long period, often a year or more, or who have experienced repeated episodes of homelessness.

  • The new program targets support for the chronically homeless.

• "homelessness" (noun): The state or condition of being homeless.

  • The economic crisis led to a sharp rise in homelessness.

Variants and Related Words

• Homelessly (adverb): In a homeless manner.
  • They wandered homelessly from town to town.
• Homeless shelter (noun phrase): A place providing temporary accommodation for homeless people.
• Stateless (adjective): A closely related term specifically meaning lacking citizenship, which can be a cause of homelessness.

Synonyms

• Destitute: Lacking the means of subsistence; impoverished.
• Displaced: Forced to leave one's home, typically because of war, persecution, or natural disaster.
• Itinerant: Traveling from place to place, often with no permanent home.
• Unhoused: An alternative term for lacking housing.

Related Phrases

• "Sleep rough": To sleep outdoors or in improvised shelters because one is homeless.
  • Many who are homeless have to sleep rough in parks.
• "Street homeless": Refers to people sleeping in places not meant for human habitation (e.g., streets, doorways, parks), as opposed to those in shelters.

Idioms

• "To be out on the street": To be homeless or forced to leave one's home.
  • If I lose my job, I'll be out on the street.

Adjective

1. physically or spiritually homeless or deprived of security
   • made a living out of shepherding dispossed people from one country to another- James Stern
2. without nationality or citizenship
   • stateless persons

Noun

1. poor people who unfortunately do not have a home to live in
   • the homeless became a problem in the large cities
2. someone unfortunate without housing
   • a homeless was found murdered in Central Park