household
Americannoun
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households
plural
adjective
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of or relating to a household.
household furniture.
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for use in maintaining a home, especially for use in cooking, cleaning, laundering, repairing, etc., in the home.
a household bleach.
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common or usual; ordinary.
noun
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the people living together in one house collectively
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(modifier) of, relating to, or used in the running of a household; domestic
household management
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of household
First recorded in 1350–1400, household is from the Middle English word houshold. See house, hold 1
Explanation
How many people does your house hold? That’s your household! A household refers to a family or group of people living together. It’s a social unit under one roof. All the people living in your house, including servants, make up your household. Don’t have any servants? Well, your roommates count as part of your household, too. In the middle of the night, your household might be asleep. Your household income could determine whether or not you get the pool in the backyard. Household can also be an adjective to describe — you guessed it — things that are in your house, like household appliances or household furniture.
Vocabulary lists containing household
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:
The father of two, who has a combined household income of £45,000 with his wife Faye, is having to pay his staff more because of increases in the national minimum wage.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
"Forty-three percent of household wealth is now exposed to the stock market, an increase of 10 percentage points from 2000," said Cavalier.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
In 1924 Johnston and Puyi planned to move the remaining imperial household to its other Beijing residence, the Summer Palace, on the outskirts of the city.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
However, the colder winter months will likely intensify the impact of higher energy prices on household budgets, and may prompt workers to demand significantly larger raises.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Unremarkables don’t know that eighty-five percent of their household problems are the result of haints, demons, ghouls, and other Remarkable creatures.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
The second day, known as Chhoti Diwali, or small Diwali, is marked by the lighting of oil lamps and, in some households, setting off firecrackers.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
AFP takes a look at how tech sector weakness could impact governments and households.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
The country also entered the conflict with a relatively low debt load, giving the government room to borrow to fund the military, compensate reservists and keep households and businesses afloat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
The deal combines Fox’s news, sports and broadcast channels with the San Jose-based streaming platform, which reaches 100 million households globally.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
Class informed everything from the circumstances of their heart attacks to the emergency care each received, the households they returned to, and the jobs they hoped to resume.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
