Meaning & use
no permanent address
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
not having a fixed place where you live or can receive mail over a long period.
Grammar: Used after verbs like have, give, or leave, and often after the preposition with: 'a man with no permanent address.'
Patterns
- have no permanent address
- give no permanent address
- someone with no permanent address
- leave no permanent address
After the fire, the family had no permanent address for almost a year.
The form asks for a home address, but she has no permanent address at the moment.
He gave no permanent address, so the court sent letters to his sister.
phrasefixed phraseformal
used to describe someone who moves from place to place and cannot be reached at one address.
Grammar: Often appears in official or news writing after verbs like be, remain, or stay; it describes a situation, not a building.
Patterns
- be of no permanent address
- remain of no permanent address
- someone of no permanent address
Police described the man as being of no permanent address.
For two years he was of no permanent address, sleeping in different towns.
The report said the woman remained of no permanent address.
Common combinations
- have no permanent address
- Many people in the shelter have no permanent address.
- give no permanent address
- He gave no permanent address when he was arrested.
- someone with no permanent address
- They offered help to anyone with no permanent address.
- leave no permanent address
- She left no permanent address when she moved away.
- be of no permanent address
- The witness was described as a man of no permanent address.
- no permanent address on file
- The bank closed the account because there was no permanent address on file.
Synonyms and how they differ
- of no fixed abode
- A British legal phrase with the same meaning; it sounds more official and is common in police and court reports.
- homeless
- Stronger and more direct: it says the person has no home at all, while 'no permanent address' can also describe someone who simply moves often.
- without a fixed address
- A neutral, slightly more everyday way to say the same thing; it fits general writing better than a legal form.
Opposites
Word family
- address noun
- The details of where someone lives or a place can be found.
- permanent adjective
- Lasting for a long time or forever, not temporary.
- permanently adverb
- In a way that lasts a long time or forever.
Commonly confused: no permanent address or no fixed address? no permanent address or homeless?
no permanent address vs no fixed address
Very close in meaning, but 'fixed' stresses that the address does not change, while 'permanent' stresses that it lasts; the two are often used in the same contexts.
no permanent address vs homeless
'Homeless' means having no home, which is a stronger and more personal statement than simply lacking a permanent address.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Have no permanent address' is the natural pattern, with 'no' before the noun and 'has' for third-person singular. Option 1 uses 'not' where 'no' is needed, option 2 uses the singular 'city' incorrectly, and option 3 uses 'have' with 'she'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “no permanent address”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.