Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for breadwinner. Search instead for Prepare+Dinner.
Synonyms

breadwinner

American  
[bred-win-er] / ˈbrɛdˌwɪn ər /

noun

  • breadwinners
    plural
  1. a person who earns a livelihood, especially one who also supports dependents.


breadwinner British  
/ ˈbrɛdˌwɪnə /

noun

  1. 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

Inflected Forms

Nouns


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.

See Examples For:

If it were, then it would apply to all lower-income families equally, regardless of whether a breadwinner spouse is in the picture.

From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026

“This particular division of private and public, housewife and breadwinner … was built on a flow of cheap fossil fuels and car culture,” she told The 19th.

From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026

Halem argued for leniency through his attorney, telling the court he was a father and the sole breadwinner in his household.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Williams’s older brother used the press to launch a modest job-printing business, but in 1861 he joined the Union Army, leaving the household without a breadwinner.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

Mom continued to be the breadwinner, working in the factory while my dad recuperated from his injuries.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

Then they’d take their earnings home to Mexico as breadwinners and comparatively rich men, and stay until the next year’s season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

Men in this generation may also have experienced financial strain differently because they were more likely to have been the primary breadwinners in this cohort born in 1946.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026

The welfare system attempted to replace family breadwinners, but it turned out that those breadwinners were providing more than money.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026

Many were - and still are - the main breadwinners in their families.

From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2026

Having regard to the thousands of perishing families in the Five Towns, he foresaw a rush and a crush of eager breadwinners.

From The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five Towns by Arnold Bennett

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training