breadwinner

American

[bred-win-er] / ˈbrɛdˌwɪn ər /

noun

a person who earns a livelihood, especially one who also supports dependents.

breadwinner British

/ ˈbrɛdˌwɪnə /

noun

a person supporting a family with his or her earnings

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

breadwinning

noun

Etymology

Origin of breadwinner

First recorded in 1810–20; bread + winner

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The detention of Parra’s husband, Yonquenide José Yajure, meant the family’s breadwinner was gone, and she was unable to work without a caretaker for her two children.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

He’s also a breadwinner again for his family.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

During this time Sapna was the family's sole breadwinner.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

As the breadwinner for her family, Modica said the stress of student debt never goes away.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

“I am the breadwinner in this family, and I don't think it's unreasonable for me to spend at least a portion of my salary however the hell I see fit.”

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023