English Reference

Word

home

Phoneticshome

US/ˈhoʊm/

UK/hˈəʊm/

Countable & uncountable

Definition

n. the place where you live and feel you belong. It is more than just a building; it is where you feel comfortable and safe.

n. the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household. Often carries a strong emotional connotation of belonging and security beyond the physical structure of a house.

Examples

“I am going home to see my family.”

“After traveling for three months, she was finally ready to return home and sleep in her own bed.”

“The concept of home often shifts from a physical location to a network of relationships as people move between different cities throughout their adult lives.”

Examples

simple

“I am going home to see my family.”

contextual

“After traveling for three months, she was finally ready to return home and sleep in her own bed.”

complex

“The concept of home often shifts from a physical location to a network of relationships as people move between different cities throughout their adult lives.”

Usage

Often used without a preposition after verbs of motion (e.g., 'go home' rather than 'go to home').

Pitfall

I am going to home

I am going home

When used as an adverb of direction with verbs of motion, 'home' does not take the preposition 'to'.

Confusables

home vs house

House is the physical structure or building; home is the place where you live and feel a sense of belonging.

RememberHouse is the shell; home is the heart.

Etymology

From home.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

NOUN

Home(A2)

ADJECTIVE

Related words

drive homefromget homego homehome pagereturn home

Idioms

01. bring home

02. bring home the bacon

03. broken home

04. charity begins at home

05. close to home

06. come home by weeping cross

07. come home to roost

08. eat someone out of house and home

09. ghost home

10. go big or go home

Show all 30

11. hammer home

12. hit home

13. hit too close to home

14. home away from home

15. home game

16. home sweet home

17. home team

18. home training

19. home wrecker

20. keep the home fires burning

21. leave home

22. make oneself at home

23. make yourself at home

24. not worth writing home about

25. pick up one's marbles and go home

26. romp home

27. take one's ball and go home

28. the chickens come home to roost

29. until the cows come home

30. when it's at home

The word in film

Home · 2015 · Sci-Fi

Directed by:
Tim Johnson

In this animated sci-fi adventure, an alien named Oh searches for a place to belong after his people invade Earth. The title highlights his growing friendship with a human girl as they both try to find where they truly feel safe.

Domains

ComputingInternetMusicNauticalSports

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
Frequency
Very common
Level
A2 · ElementaryOxford
Updated

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