hometown
/ˈhəʊm.taʊn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhoʊm.taʊn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhōm-ˈtau̇n/ (ame, mw)
hometown — noun
- hometownsingular
- hometownsplural
1. the place where you spent your childhood and that you continue to think of as yo
the place where you spent your childhood and that you continue to think of as your real home, even if you later move away
Priya visits her hometown in Kerala every year during the holidays.
collocation: visits + hometown
The small town of Oakville is Theo's hometown, though he now lives in Toronto.
pattern: [possessive] + hometown with contrast clause
After a decade abroad, Leila returned to her hometown to teach at the local school.
My hometown has changed so much since I was a child.
For many immigrants, their hometown remains a cherished place even decades after leaving.
- birthplace
refers strictly to the location where someone was born, without the emotional or long-term connection that hometown implies
- home
broader term — can mean the building you live in now, your country, or your hometown, depending on context
- native town
more formal and less common in everyday speech; often used in writing about one's origins
用法筆記
Often used with a possessive determiner (my hometown, her hometown, their hometown). Can refer to any settlement size — a village, a small town, or a large city — depending on where the person grew up.