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

Will Smith had a goal and an assist in his New England homecoming, and goalie Yaroslav Askarov, still recovering from the flu and playing at less than 100% health, made 27 saves. —Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2025

The Charlie’s Angels actress has also been busy recently with her Hollywood homecoming, with Netflix’s Back in Action — which premiered on the streaming service Friday — marking her first movie in a decade. —Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 17 Jan. 2025

Byredo’s Year of Snake Fragrance Celebrating the Year of the Snake with a tribute to the warmth of homecoming, Byredo partners with artist Wei Yijuan to create an exclusive motif for Lunar New Year by drawing inspiration from the natural world’s fluid, organic forms. —Angela Lei, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025

Minnesota goalie Nicole Hensley looks forward to her Denver homecoming on Jan. 12, when the Frost play Montreal at the Avalanche’s Ball Arena. —John Wawrow, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2025

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