empty nester

Or empty-nester

noun

1. a parent whose children have reached adulthood and left home.

empty-nester

noun

1. informal,  a married person whose children have grown up and left home

Word History and Origins

Origin of empty-nester¹

First recorded in 1960–65; empty nest + -er ¹

Example Sentences

For Veronica P., an empty nester who moved to Olive Dell in March 2024, the ranch offered her acceptance.

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But then, as she approached becoming an empty nester, Dressback began having panic attacks around being gay, she said, feeling that “I’ve pushed this down for a really long time.”

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Now, I'm an empty nester with an as-yet unpublished novel in a marriage where we can finish each other's sentences.

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Milestones like a 40th or 50th birthday, or becoming an empty nester, can provoke uncertainty about your life and your future.

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She joined Airbnb when she became an empty nester to earn money in retirement and to meet people from around the world.

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