halfway house

noun

1
a
: a place to stop midway on a journey
b
: a halfway place in a progression
2
: a residence for individuals after release from institutionalization (as for mental illness, drug addiction, or criminal activity) that is designed to facilitate their readjustment to private life

Examples of halfway house in a Sentence

The car is the perfect halfway house between a family caravan and luxury sedan.
Recent Examples on the Web Several days after the murder, a detective stopped at a halfway house to question Anthony Francis Pepito, a Balistrieri employee who’d been convicted of armed burglary and other crimes. Journal Sentinel, 17 Jan. 2024 McFarland was subsequently transferred to a halfway house for community confinement and has since been on supervised release. Jessica Wang, EW.com, 21 Aug. 2023 Delays in implementation have been caused by early misinterpretation of the law, computer glitches and a shortage of halfway house capacity. Walter Pavlo, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 After rehab, Kelley Deal landed at a halfway house in St. Paul, Minn. Geoff Edgers, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023 This fiscal year, lawmakers allocated $87.7 million — nearly 16% of the state’s public safety budget — to the state’s 26 halfway houses. Moe Clark, ProPublica, 1 May 2023 But Gilbert’s lawyer has filed a motion to release him to a halfway house in San Francisco. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 19 Jan. 2024 The frame story follows an unnamed narrator who washes up at a halfway house in the desert called the Palace. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2023 Chansley was released early from prison in March after serving 27 months and transferred to a halfway house. Ana Faguy, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'halfway house.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of halfway house was in 1648

Dictionary Entries Near halfway house

Cite this Entry

“Halfway house.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/halfway%20house. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

halfway house

noun
: a place that provides living quarters and usually counseling to persons who have left an institution (as a prison or mental hospital) but are not ready to live in the community

Medical Definition

halfway house

noun
half·​way house ˈhaf-ˈwā-, ˈhȧf- How to pronounce halfway house (audio)
: a center for individuals after institutionalization (as for mental illness or drug addiction) that is designed to facilitate their readjustment to private life

Legal Definition

halfway house

noun
half·​way house
: a residence for formerly institutionalized individuals (as mental patients, drug addicts, or convicts) that is designed to facilitate their readjustment to private life

More from Merriam-Webster on halfway house

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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