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
Though the cubs grow to become larger than their caregiver, and far more dangerous, they never give their mother trouble and she never loses her placid behaviour or her sense of authority over her litter.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
But now that we know that cats are attempting to communicate with us, is there a way for pet caregivers to better understand what a cat is attempting to say?
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
"It's a very intimate relationship, so to these clients, the loss of having their Haiti TPS-holding caregivers truly is devastating."
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 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
"No penalties are proposed for children, their parents or caregivers," Stanford said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
The Court ruled these tenants could be held civilly liable for the nonviolent behavior of their children and caregivers.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
