Synonyms

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

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.

“These weren’t criminals. They worked, they were the breadwinners of their house and their families were scared without them.”

From Los Angeles Times

At that time she had become the family's main breadwinner, his nightclub business having begun to fail.

From BBC

He went on to detail how she was a breadwinner and philanthropist who sponsored a Zambian girls' football team that would suffer from her imprisonment.

From BBC

I would have to become our breadwinner and carry all of the financial weight.

From Literature

Most of the cast members have said they have become the breadwinners in their homes since the show premiered.

From The Wall Street Journal

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