Vagrant vs. Hobo — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on October 31, 2023
A vagrant is someone who wanders and has no permanent home or employment, whereas a hobo is a traveler who works odd jobs for survival.
Difference Between Vagrant and Hobo
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A vagrant is typically defined as a person who wanders from place to place without a permanent home or regular employment. The term often carries a negative connotation, implying idleness. A hobo, on the other hand, is understood as a traveling worker, often moving from town to town, taking temporary jobs.
The term hobo emerged in the late 19th century, particularly in the United States, referring to migratory workers or homeless vagabonds, especially ones who illegally hopped freight trains. Vagrant has a longer historical usage, often used in legal contexts to describe someone who is homeless and unemployed.
In some legal contexts, a vagrant can refer to a person who is seen as a public nuisance due to their wandering and lack of visible means of support. The term hobo doesn’t typically carry legal implications, focusing more on the transient lifestyle and occasional work.
Hobos have been romanticized in some cultural depictions, seen as free spirits or adventurers. Vagrants are often portrayed less romantically, sometimes perceived as aimless or troubled individuals.
While both vagrants and hobos are characterized by their mobility, hobos are more associated with a working journey, seeking employment wherever they travel. Vagrants may not actively seek employment and can be more stationary in their wandering.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A person who wanders without a home.
A traveler who works odd jobs.
Historical Context
Broader and older usage.
Emerged in the late 19th century in the U.S.
Legal Implications
Can imply public nuisance.
Less legal connotation.
Cultural Image
Often negative or troubled.
Sometimes romanticized as adventurers.
Lifestyle Focus
Wandering, possibly without work.
Traveling with an emphasis on temporary work.
Compare with Definitions
Vagrant
A person without a settled home.
The city has a program to help vagrants find shelter.
Hobo
A homeless person who travels for work.
The hobo found a job at a farm for the harvest season.
Vagrant
A person living on the streets.
Local charities provide meals for vagrants.
Hobo
A person who illegally hops freight trains.
The hobo traveled across the country on freight trains.
Vagrant
A wanderer often without visible means of support.
The vagrant moved from town to town, surviving on odd jobs.
Hobo
A traveler who does temporary jobs.
The hobo worked on the railroad before moving on.
Vagrant
Someone who wanders from place to place.
Vagrants often face challenges in finding stable employment.
Hobo
A migrant worker without a permanent home.
Hobos often congregated in camps near railway lines.
Vagrant
A person without a settled home or regular work who wanders from place to place and lives by begging.
Hobo
A hobo is a migrant worker or homeless vagrant, especially one who is impoverished. The term originated in the Western—probably Northwestern—United States around 1890.
Vagrant
Relating to or living the life of a vagrant
Vagrant beggars
Hobo
A homeless person; a tramp or vagrant.
Vagrant
One who wanders from place to place without a permanent home or a means of livelihood.
Hobo
One who wanders from place to place without a permanent home or a means of livelihood.
Vagrant
(Archaic) A wanderer; a rover.
Hobo
A migrant worker.
Vagrant
One who lives on the streets or constitutes a public nuisance.
Hobo
Also hobo bag A large, crescent-shaped handbag with a single shoulder strap and usually a zippered top.
Vagrant
An animal occurring beyond its normal range; an accidental.
Hobo
To live or wander like a vagrant.
Vagrant
Wandering from place to place and lacking any means of support.
Hobo
(North America) A wandering homeless person, especially (historical) one illegally travelling by rail or (pejorative) a penniless, unemployed bum.
Vagrant
Living on the streets or constituting a public nuisance.
Hobo
(North America) Any migratory laborer, whether homeless or not.
Vagrant
Inconstant or capricious; wayward
"She was resolved to win my vagrant fancy" (Frank Harris).
Hobo
A kind of large handbag.
Vagrant
Moving in a random fashion; having no fixed direction or pattern
Vagrant ice floes.
A vagrant aroma.
Hobo
To be a hobo, tramp, bum etc.
Joe idly hoboed through half the country till he realized hoboing never gets you anywhere in life.
Vagrant
Being beyond its normal range; accidental. Used of animals.
Hobo
A professional tramp; one who spends his life traveling from place to place, esp. by stealing rides on trains, and begging for a living.
Vagrant
(dated) A person who wanders from place to place; a nomad, a wanderer.
Hobo
A disreputable vagrant;
A homeless tramp
He tried to help the really down-and-out bums
Vagrant
(specifically) A person without settled employment or habitation who usually supports himself or herself by begging or some dishonest means; a tramp, a vagabond.
Every morning before work, I see that poor vagrant around the neighbourhood begging for food.
Hobo
An itinerant worker during the Great Depression.
Hobos played a significant role in American history during the 1930s.
Vagrant
Vagrans egista, a widely distributed Asian butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
Vagrant
An animal, typically a bird, found outside its species' usual range.
Vagrant
Wandering from place to place, particularly when without any settled employment or habitation.
A vagrant beggar
Vagrant
Of or pertaining to a vagabond or vagrant, or a person fond of wandering.
Vagrant
(figurative) Moving without a certain direction; roving, wandering; also, erratic, unsettled.
Vagrant
Moving without certain direction; wandering; erratic; unsettled.
That beauteous Emma vagrant courses took.
While leading this vagrant and miserable life, Johnson fell in love.
Vagrant
Wandering from place to place without any settled habitation; as, a vagrant beggar.
Vagrant
One who strolls from place to place; one who has no settled habitation; an idle wanderer; a sturdy beggar; an incorrigible rogue; a vagabond.
Vagrants and outlaws shall offend thy view.
Vagrant
A wanderer who has no established residence or visible means of support
Vagrant
Continually changing especially as from one abode or occupation to another;
A drifting double-dealer
The floating population
Vagrant hippies of the sixties
Vagrant
An individual without regular work.
The vagrant struggled to make ends meet.
Common Curiosities
Is the term vagrant used in legal contexts?
Yes, vagrant has been used in legal contexts to describe homeless individuals.
Are vagrants always unemployed?
Vagrants often lack regular employment but may do occasional odd jobs.
What defines a vagrant?
A vagrant is someone who wanders without a permanent home or regular job.
What is a hobo?
A hobo is a person who travels and works odd jobs for survival.
Are all vagrants homeless?
While many vagrants are homeless, the term can also apply to those who continuously move.
Do hobos travel frequently?
Yes, hobos typically travel often, seeking temporary work.
Is being a hobo a lifestyle choice?
For some, being a hobo is a lifestyle choice, emphasizing freedom and travel.
Can a vagrant be someone who just wanders?
Yes, a vagrant can be someone who simply wanders without a fixed purpose.
Were hobos common during the Great Depression?
Yes, hobos were particularly common during the Great Depression in the U.S.
Can vagrants settle down?
Yes, vagrants can settle down if they find stable housing and employment.
Did hobos contribute to the economy?
Yes, hobos contributed by doing various temporary jobs, especially in agriculture and construction.
Do hobos typically work in one place for long?
No, hobos generally do temporary jobs and move on.
Did hobos have their own subculture?
Yes, hobos often had a unique subculture, with their own codes and customs.
Are vagrants and homeless people the same?
While similar, not all homeless people are vagrants, and not all vagrants are homeless.
Is vagrancy still a legal offense?
In some places, vagrancy laws still exist, but they have been challenged and reformed.
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
