Homecoming

How to spell homecoming

10 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce homecoming

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does homecoming mean?

1. nounThe act of arriving or returning to one's home, especially after a long absence.
2. nounAn annual celebration at a school or college that welcomes back former students, often with a game and a dance.

Homecoming in a sentence

• The soldier's homecoming was celebrated with a quiet family dinner.

• The alumni returned to campus for the autumn homecoming weekend.

• After two years working abroad, her homecoming felt strangely emotional.

• She was crowned queen at the high school homecoming dance.

Where does homecoming come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a native English compound, built from two thoroughly Germanic parts. 'Home' descends from the Old English ham, meaning a dwelling, village, or estate, while 'coming' is the gerund of the verb 'come', from Old English cuman, 'to move toward, arrive'. The two were joined to describe the act of returning to one's home, an idea recorded in English for centuries. In American usage it took on a special institutional sense from the early twentieth century, when colleges and high schools began inviting former students back for an annual celebration, often centred on a football game and a dance. Because both elements are familiar everyday words, the spelling stays transparent: it is simply 'home' and 'coming' written as one, with no doubled letters or silent traps to negotiate.

How the word is built

• home (dwelling place)
• coming (act of arriving, from come
• -ing)