broken home

[ broh-kuhn hohm ]

noun

1. a family in which one parent is absent, usually due to divorce or desertion:

   children from broken homes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of broken home¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Israeli soldiers, and some civilians from Israel and abroad, come to see the broken homes, and hear accounts of the devastation, in order to understand what happened.

From BBC

But no one wants to see broken homes.

From Los Angeles Times

She likened her peers to abused children who still crave a broken home.

From Los Angeles Times

We all came from broken homes, and we wanted things to be very stable for the audience.

From Los Angeles Times

She said she feels the county has barely reckoned with the lasting damage it inflicted on young people like her — children from broken homes who broke the law.

From Los Angeles Times