household
Americannoun
adjective
-
of or relating to a household.
household furniture.
-
for use in maintaining a home, especially for use in cooking, cleaning, laundering, repairing, etc., in the home.
a household bleach.
-
common or usual; ordinary.
noun
-
the people living together in one house collectively
-
(modifier) of, relating to, or used in the running of a household; domestic
household management
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.
“Everyone is grappling with rapid price rises, especially at the fuel pumps, which are taking a dent out of household budgets, and people know further price hikes are coming.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
“If you’re part of a household with two incomes, and one of you loses a job, then that’s a problem. But it’s not a crisis, because you still have income coming in,” Case said.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026
Alcohol, food and household services contributed to the increase, it said.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
The tax windfall consumers are enjoying now also won’t last through the latter half of the year, and higher energy costs could start weighing on both household and corporate finances.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
Mrs. Clarke loved licorice and had grown quite fond of the Giddy-Yap, Rainbow! stories, ever since Penelope had introduced these fine books to the household.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
