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:
Amanda’s rage quickly morphs into panic because she knows how dependent the childlike Leslie is on her husband, who functions as her primary caregiver.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
Struggling to repay loans, she moved to Hong Kong to work as a domestic caregiver looking after elderly people and children.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
I suspect the live-in caregiver is benefiting from my parent’s generosity.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
The study also found that when the care recipient didn’t have enough funds of their own, the average caregiver net contribution rose to $12,863 a year.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 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
Earlier, attendants and nurses were seen as an addition to family caregivers.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
For spouse caregivers living with the care recipients, costs were much lower than for an adult child caring for an aging parent but not living with them.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
Adults who often serve as vital caregivers confront what it means to welcome grandchildren later in life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
A 2020 report by the California state auditor found that nearly three-quarters of In-home Supportive Services caregivers assist a family member.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
I mean, like in many cultures, men were viewed as warriors and women were viewed as caregivers.
From "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie
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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.
