Homestay

//ˈhoʊmˌsteɪ// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A system whereby students, visiting a foreign country to study, board with a local family at an affordable price.

    "Whether you’re crossing paths with shepherds in the mountains or staying with a family at a homestay, the warmth of the people will linger in your heart long after your trip ends."

  2. 2
    A house used primarily as the residence of the owner but with the business of accommodating paying guests.

Example

More examples

"In order to qualify for the homestay you must have an interview with the sponsors."

Etymology

From home + stay, nowadays a reborrowing from Japanese ホームステイ (hōmusutei).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.