English Reference

Word

vagabond

US/ˈvæɡəbɑnd/

UK/vˈæɡɐbˌɒnd/

Definition

n. a person who travels from place to place without a home or a job. You often use this word for someone who moves around a lot and does not have a fixed address.

n. a person who wanders from place to place without a permanent home or job. Often carries a slightly negative or romanticised connotation depending on the context.

Examples

“The old vagabond told stories by the campfire.”

“After losing his job, he became a vagabond, traveling across the country by train and sleeping in parks.”

“The novel follows the journey of a modern-day vagabond who seeks to find meaning in a world that increasingly demands stability and permanent residence.”

Examples

simple

“The old vagabond told stories by the campfire.”

contextual

“After losing his job, he became a vagabond, traveling across the country by train and sleeping in parks.”

complex

“The novel follows the journey of a modern-day vagabond who seeks to find meaning in a world that increasingly demands stability and permanent residence.”

Real-World Examples

“In reality most rōnin tended to be sword-wielding vagabonds, their need to survive forcing them to accept unglamorous jobs such as bodyguards, enforcers, or simply laborers.”
National Geographic · 9 May 2025

Etymology

From Old French vagabond, from Late Latin vagābundus, from Latin vagari (“wander”). Compare moribund. Etymology tree Old French vagabondder. English vagabond

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

Related words

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference