tent city

noun

plural tent cities
: a collection of many tents set up in an area to provide usually temporary shelter (as for people who don't have a permanent place of residence)
Tent cities of displaced homeowners have sprung up …Matt Woolsey
Anti-sweatshop protesters at FSU pitched a tent city last March to demand that the school join the Workers Rights Consortium …Meline Toumani et al.

Examples of tent city in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Today’s top stories (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Mayor Karen Bass hopes to find common ground with Trump on homelessness Trump has promised to place homeless people in tent cities. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024 Homeless youth like Johnson tend to be less visible than other segments of the city’s homeless population, typically sheltering with friends or family in temporary living situations as opposed to the tent cities that have drawn significant attention from media and residents. Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 20 Nov. 2024 The city has historically prioritized finding housing for its homeless, many of whom stay in airports, on public transit or in tent cities across its parks and under bridges. Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 5 Oct. 2024 The movement established a tent city that grew to more than 10,000 people, and as with Occupy, one of its objectives was to create a kind of alternative society. Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 10 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tent city 

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tent city was in 1838

Dictionary Entries Near tent city

Cite this Entry

“Tent city.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tent%20city. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

tent city

noun
: a group of many tents set up to provide usually temporary shelter (as for displaced or homeless people)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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