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.
Where should the former tent city residents go after their hotel stay is up? Courier-News, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025 The city was densely populated: Between 650,000-800,000 people displaced from the surrounding countryside by the ongoing conflict lived in sprawling tent cities around the city. Emmet Livingstone, The Dial, 20 Mar. 2025 Plans called for a tent city adjoining that migrant facility to be built that could house the numbers mentioned by Trump and other senior administration officials. Luis Martinez, ABC News, 29 Mar. 2025 The city plans to sweep the tent city March 5 after offering the 20-or-so remaining occupants housing and other support, an approach that Ramirez-Rosa endorses. Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Tent city.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tent%20city. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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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