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

That makes her halftime show a homecoming, but the whole nation will be able to tune in — at least for a few hours. —Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 25 Dec. 2024

And a soldier does his best Santa impression during a surprise holiday homecoming. —Terry Baddoo, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024

Usually, the back-from-the-dead homecoming of a story’s hero is the stuff of triumphant season finales. —Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 12 Dec. 2024

As Saturday Night Live marks its 50th season, Bill Murray hopes to have a homecoming soon. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 5 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