Definition of home

Short definition: The word home means the place where a person lives, feels comfortable, and belongs. People use it to talk about family, daily life, safety, or the feeling of being relaxed and secure.

Looking for a clear and real-life explanation of the word home? The word home means much more than just a building with walls and a roof. It can describe a place of comfort, a sense of belonging, emotional safety, or even where the heart truly feels at peace. In everyday English, we use home to talk about physical spaces, personal identity, family life, and deep emotional connections. Below, each meaning is explained in a relaxed, natural way with long examples that feel close to real experience.

Related: homeless adj., homely adj., hometown n., homelike adj.
Syllable: home

1. (Noun) The place where a person lives, especially with family, and feels comfortable, safe, and relaxed.
   After a long and exhausting day, she finally arrived home, feeling relieved to be in a place where she could truly rest.
   His parents’ house will always feel like home to him, no matter how many times he moves to a new city.
   They spent the weekend cleaning their home, turning it into a more peaceful and welcoming space.

   Synonyms: house, residence, dwelling, place to live, living space, family home, abode, shelter, household, living quarters, nest, hearth
   Antonyms: homelessness, shelterlessness, outdoors, street life, nowhere to live, exile, displacement, instability, transience, wandering, rootlessness, nomadism

2. (Noun) A place where someone feels a strong sense of belonging, even if it is not their actual house.
   After years of moving from country to country, she finally found a city that truly felt like home.
   The team became his second home, giving him support and confidence he never had before.
   For many people, their workplace slowly becomes a kind of home because they spend so much time there.

   Synonyms: place of belonging, comfort zone, safe place, emotional base, haven, refuge, sanctuary, familiar place, heart place, personal space, anchor, grounding place
   Antonyms: unfamiliar place, чуждое место, discomfort zone, hostile environment, alien place, foreign space, unsafe area, cold surroundings, exile feeling, displacement feeling, nowhere familiar, isolation

3. (Adverb) Toward the place where one lives.
   He decided to go home early, knowing he needed rest more than anything else.
   After the trip, everyone was excited to finally head home and sleep in their own beds.
   She walked home in the rain, enjoying the quiet moment to reflect on her day.

   Synonyms: back home, to one’s place, toward home, returning, heading back, going back, homeward, toward the house, back to base, back to residence, toward shelter, back inside
   Antonyms: away, out, leaving, departing, going elsewhere, traveling away, moving out, going far, leaving home, venturing out, staying out, remaining away

4. (Adjective) Relating to one’s own country, place, or team.
   The home team received loud support from the crowd, which gave them extra confidence.
   She prefers to buy home products because she wants to support local businesses.
   The company focuses on the home market before expanding internationally.

   Synonyms: local, domestic, native, internal, in-house, national, hometown-based, own-country, resident, familiar, nearby, community-based
   Antonyms: foreign, overseas, international, external, imported, abroad, distant, unfamiliar, nonlocal, outside, alien, global

5. (Noun) A place where people are cared for, such as a nursing home, orphanage, or shelter.
   The charity opened a new home for children who had lost their families.
   His grandmother moved to a care home, where she could receive daily medical support.
   The animal rescue center provides a temporary home for abandoned pets.

   Synonyms: care center, shelter, residence, facility, refuge, institution, foster place, safe house, support center, living facility, care residence, community home
   Antonyms: abandonment, neglect, street life, homelessness, unsafe space, isolation, lack of care, exposure, vulnerability, desertion, instability, displacement

6. (Figurative) A place, activity, or group where someone feels emotionally secure and accepted.
   Music became her home during difficult times, giving her comfort and strength.
   He feels most at home when he is working on creative projects.
   For her, the classroom is a second home, where she feels inspired and understood.

   Synonyms: safe space, comfort zone, emotional shelter, happy place, inner refuge, personal haven, grounding place, familiar comfort, emotional base, sense of belonging, peaceful corner, heart space
   Antonyms: discomfort, insecurity, anxiety zone, hostile space, emotional exile, loneliness, alienation, rejection, unease, cold environment, stress zone, unsafe place