# hometown

/ˈhoʊmˌtaʊn/ (US) · /hˈəʊmtaʊn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hometown
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. place of birth or childhood

noun · CEFR A2

the town or city where you were born or spent your childhood.

For teachers: the town or city of one's birth or upbringing, often carrying a strong emotional or cultural connection.

- Even though she lives in London now, she visits her hometown every Christmas.
- Returning to his hometown after twenty years, he was struck by how the quiet streets of his youth had transformed into a bustling commercial hub.

Usage: Commonly used with possessive adjectives like 'my', 'your', or 'his'.

### 2. local bias

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

used to describe a decision or person that favors the local team or area.

For teachers: used attributively to designate a decision, judgment, or person biased in favor of local interests or participants.

- The referee was accused of making a hometown decision for the local team.
- The visiting team complained about the hometown officiating, arguing that the crowd's energy had clearly influenced the referee's final ruling.

Usage: Usually appears before another noun, such as 'hometown crowd' or 'hometown hero'.

## Examples

- I am going back to my hometown for the holidays.
- Even though she has lived in London for twenty years, she still considers a small village in Wales her hometown.
- The documentary explores how the rapid industrialisation of the 1980s permanently altered the landscape of the director's hometown, leaving only a few landmarks from his childhood intact.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.