host
noun · verb
Simple meaning
Any organization that provides resources and facilities for a function or event.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
hohstIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈhoʊst
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
Any organization that provides resources and facilities for a function or event
“Atlanta was chosen to be host for the Olympic Games.”
One which receives or entertains a guest, socially, commercially, or officially.
One that provides a facility for an event.
A person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there
A person or organization responsible for running an event.
A multitude of people arrayed as an army; used also in religious senses, as: Heavenly host (of angels)
verb
Be the host of or for
“We hosted 4 couples last night.”
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Any organization that provides resources and facilities for a function or event
Used this way, host is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Atlanta was chosen to be host for the Olympic Games.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “host for …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: host for …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Organization / providesnoun
“Atlanta was chosen to be host for the Olympic Games.”
Hostverb
“We hosted 4 couples last night.”
More ways to use host
- “Atlanta was chosen to be host for the Olympic Games.”noun
- “We hosted 4 couples last night.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
A woman host.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.