second home: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral to Informal
Quick answer
What does “second home” mean?
A property owned or regularly used by an individual or family in addition to their primary residence, typically for holidays, weekends, or as an investment.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A property owned or regularly used by an individual or family in addition to their primary residence, typically for holidays, weekends, or as an investment.
A place where someone spends so much time or feels so comfortable that it feels almost like their main home (e.g., a workplace, a relative's house, a holiday destination).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The core meaning is identical. British English may more frequently associate it with a 'cottage' or a property in the countryside or by the sea. American English might more commonly associate it with a 'vacation home', 'cabin', or 'beach house'.
Connotations
In both varieties, it can have positive connotations of leisure and success, or negative connotations of contributing to unaffordable housing for locals in popular areas.
Frequency
Comparatively frequent in both varieties, with significant media and policy discussion in regions with high tourism or wealth concentration.
Grammar
How to Use “second home” in a Sentence
[Subject] + have/own + a second home + [in/at Location][Subject] + treat + [Location] + as a second home[Location] + is/become + [Possessive] second homeVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
In real estate and finance, referring to property investment, mortgage products, or market analysis.
Academic
Used in sociology, economics, or human geography when discussing tourism, housing markets, or demographic studies.
Everyday
Common in conversations about holidays, future plans, or lifestyle.
Technical
In legal or tax contexts, defining ownership status for regulatory purposes.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “second home”
- Using 'second house' interchangeably (a 'house' is a building type, a 'home' implies emotional connection).
- Confusing 'second home' with 'sublet' or 'timeshare' (a second home implies more permanent access/ownership).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Very similar, but 'holiday home' specifies its use for holidays, while 'second home' can be used for other purposes (e.g., a work base). 'Second home' is the broader term.
Typically, 'second home' implies ownership or very long-term, regular use. A short-term holiday rental is usually not called a second home. However, if you rent the same property every summer for years, you might colloquially call it your second home.
'Second home' usually refers to an actual property. 'Home from home' (or 'home away from home') is an idiom describing any place where you feel as comfortable as in your own home, which could be a friend's house, a café, or even a hotel.
Yes, definitions vary by country and jurisdiction, often for tax, planning, or mortgage purposes. It's typically defined as a dwelling that is not the owner's principal residence but is occupied for a significant part of the year.
A property owned or regularly used by an individual or family in addition to their primary residence, typically for holidays, weekends, or as an investment.
Second home is usually neutral to informal in register.
Second home: in British English it is pronounced /ˌsɛk.ənd ˈhəʊm/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌsɛk.ənd ˈhoʊm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A home away from home”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the number '2' and a picture of a house: your FIRST home is where you live daily, your SECOND home is your special escape.
Conceptual Metaphor
HOME IS A CONTAINER FOR COMFORT AND IDENTITY; a second home is a secondary container for a different aspect of one's life (leisure, family time).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'second home' LEAST likely to be used?