caregiver
Americannoun
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caregivers
plural
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a person who cares for someone who is sick or disabled.
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an adult who cares for an infant or child.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of caregiver
First recorded in 1980–85; care + giver ( def. )
Explanation
Someone who takes care of a very young, elderly, or ill person is called a caregiver. If you make sure your ailing friend eats every day and is relatively comfortable, you are her caregiver. Being a caregiver is sometimes a paying job — a home health aid and a nurse in a hospital both work as caregivers. When a family member is ill, you may become a temporary caregiver, bringing hot soup and warm blankets. In Britain, this person is called a carer. Both words come from the Old English carian, "to feel concern" and also "to grieve."
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.
See Examples For:
Here’s the short version: Tradwives promote a traditional model of family life, prioritizing being a homemaker and a primary caregiver and supporting their husbands’ role as the primary breadwinner.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
Long Island mother-of-two Linda Mancuso has been "praying on a daily basis" that her disabled son's Haitian caregiver will be able to come back to work.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
Serving as a family caregiver isn’t just exhausting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
As people live longer, social isolation can be a risk for older adults, who may face obstacles such as diminished mobility, limited access to transportation and often, the loss of a loved one or caregiver.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
We’d found a babysitter, Glorina Casabal, a doting, expert caregiver about ten years older than I was.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
National advocacy groups are campaigning for policies that would strengthen the long-term workforce - including ones that "would expand legal pathways for international caregivers".
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
The company said it will pay caregivers through Oct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Many patients will abruptly lose caregivers who have been with them for years, and facilities that are already strained will be even more short-staffed.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026
Some caregivers find extra support by adding friends and families, or by joining group tours.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
But gay people, being both male and female, were seen as both warriors and caregivers.
From "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
