noun
homeless people
HOHM-luhss PEE-puhl
Homeless people (noun) means People who have no permanent place to live, whether they are sleeping outdoors, in shelters, in temporary accommodation or on the floors of friends and relatives. Example: “The council counted 340 homeless people in the borough last winter.”
noun
1
People who have no permanent place to live, whether they are sleeping outdoors, in shelters, in temporary accommodation or on the floors of friends and relatives.
"The council counted 340 homeless people in the borough last winter."
"Most homeless people are in temporary housing, not on the street."
How to use homeless people
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishPeople who do not have a home to live in.
When to use it
Neutral. Person-first alternatives are preferred in social work, policy and charity communication.
Memory tip
Homeless has no plural form of its own — say homeless people, never homelesses.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
help homeless people
homeless people in the city
support for homeless people
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The council counted 340 _____ in the borough last winter.
Synonyms
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rough sleepers
unhoused people
people experiencing homelessness
Rhymes for homeless people
See all rhymes for homeless people →Frequently asked questions
Should you say homeless people or people experiencing homelessness?
Homeless people remains standard and is not offensive. Many charities and agencies now prefer people experiencing homelessness or people without housing, on the grounds that it puts the person before the circumstance and treats the situation as temporary. Either is acceptable; the person-first version is safer in professional writing.
Is the homeless the same as homeless people?
They refer to the same group, but the homeless treats a whole population as a single category and is now widely avoided in careful writing. Homeless people is the more neutral choice.
Does homeless only mean sleeping on the street?
No. Official definitions include anyone without a settled, secure home — people in hostels, emergency accommodation, cars or sofa-surfing. Rough sleeping, meaning sleeping outdoors, is only a small fraction of the total.
What is the meaning of homeless people?
"homeless people" (noun) means people who have no permanent place to live, whether they are sleeping outdoors, in shelters, in temporary accommodation or on the floors of friends and relatives.
