empty nester
noun
a parent whose children have reached adulthood and left home.
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empty-nester
empty-nesternouna married person whose children have grown up and left home
empty nester
American
Or
empty-nester
noun
empty-nester
British
noun
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.
See Examples For:
Based in Cheshire, she shares her experience of being an "empty nester" on social media.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
Having a third child, which she still thinks about, would mean she wouldn’t be an empty nester until her mid-60s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
For Veronica P., an empty nester who moved to Olive Dell in March 2024, the ranch offered her acceptance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2025
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
Duplass’s Dobson, an acclaimed novelist, recent widower and now an empty nester, is struggling to hold himself together.
From New York Times ● May 13, 2022
Bryant is a recent empty-nester, so she’s looking for someone who’s experienced as much life as she has and knows how to have fun at the same time.
From Salon ● May 5, 2025
And, like that, I became an afternoon empty-nester.
From Seattle Times ● May 6, 2022
Going home, where he can visit his empty-nester parents, was a major plus.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2021
Heaton also published a book last year called, "Our Second Act: Inspiring Stories of Reinvention," in which she wrote about taking more time for herself and her passions as an empty-nester.
From Fox News ● Jul. 11, 2021
An empty-nester house reemerges as a ‘cozy cottage’ home.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 30, 2021
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