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A residential home in Stockton California
A home is a place of residence or refuge and comfort. It is usually a place in which an individual or a family can rest and be able to store personal property. Most modern-day households contain sanitary facilities and a means of preparing food. Animals have their own homes as well, living either in the wild or in a domesticated environment.

There are certain cultures in which members lack permanent homes, such as with nomadic people.

Terminology


Many wetlands are home to birds such as these Stockton California ducks

A houseboat on Lake Union in Seattle, Washington

While a house or a residential dwelling is often referred to as a "home", the concept of "home" expresses itself upon a much broader denotation of a physical dwelling. Many people think of home in terms of where they grew up or where they lived, a place that brings back old memories or feelings, and a home can even be a time rather than an actual place. The phrases, "There's no place like home". or "Home is where the heart is". come from these sentiments.

The word "home" can be used for various types of residential institutions in which people can live, such as nursing homes, group homes (orphanages for children, retirement homes for seniors, prisons for criminals, treatment facilities, etc.), and foster homes.

In computer terminology, a 'home' is a starting view that branches off into other tasks, e.g. a homepage or a desktop. Many such home pages on the internet start with introductory information, recent news or events, and links to subpages.

Psychological impact

Since it can be said that humans are generally creatures of habit, the state of a person's home has been known to physiologically influence their behavior, emotions, and overall mental health.

Some people may become homesick when they leave their home over an extended period of time. Sometimes homesickness can cause a person to feel actual symptoms of illness.

See also