empty nester

American

Or empty-nester

noun

a parent whose children have reached adulthood and left home.

empty-nester British

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of empty nester

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

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.

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.”

From Salon • Sep. 19, 2024

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

From Seattle Times • Jul. 21, 2023

An empty nester, her son is in college.

From Washington Post • Jul. 19, 2022

“I know I have to be an empty nester again. I know he has to be on his own. But my heart hurts.”

From New York Times • May 14, 2021

Farmhouse Fixer Jon and Kristina undertake a renovation of a charming 1910 home owned by a baker who is an empty nester.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2021

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