homecoming

noun

home·​com·​ing ˈhōm-ˌkə-miŋ 

1

: a return home

a soldier's homecoming

2

: the return of a group of people usually on a special occasion to a place formerly frequented or regarded as home

especially : an annual celebration for alumni at a high school, college, or university

—often used before another noun

a homecoming rally

homecoming weekend

the annual homecoming game/dance

was elected the homecoming queen

Examples of homecoming in a Sentence

A large crowd gathered at the airport for the soldiers' homecoming.

Recent Examples on the Web

Then in 2014, Wilcox and some friends go to Penn State for homecoming. —Jon Hamilton, NPR, 14 Jan. 2025

And a move to Dallas would be a homecoming for a franchise legend. —The Athletic Nfl Staff, The Athletic, 13 Jan. 2025

This one’s set in the 1930s; Jordan plays the dual role of vampire brothers, whose small-town homecoming turns into a square-off with the Ku Klux Klan. —Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2025

Harlem had been Baldwin’s origin place, the display of letters to his confidantes the stuff of homecoming. —Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

homecoming

noun

home·​com·​ing ˈhōm-ˌkəm-ing 

1

: a return home

2

a

: the return of a group of people usually on a special occasion to a place formerly frequented

b

: a yearly celebration for alumni at a school