home economics

American  

noun

1. the art and science of home management.

2. a college curriculum usually including studies in nutrition, the purchase, preparation, and service of food, interior design, clothing and textiles, child development, family relationships, and household economics.

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home economics British  

noun

1. (functioning as singular or plural) the study of diet, budgeting, child care, textiles, and other subjects concerned with running a home

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Other Word Forms

• home economist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of home economics

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

home economics

He said that as a result, some schools had not been able to offer home economics, computing and technical studies classes to certain year groups.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

Collins taught home economics in high school and math in junior high before she transitioned into politics, elected clerk of the Kentucky Court of Appeals in 1975 and then lieutenant governor in 1979.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025

According to the Craft Industry Alliance, by 2012 only 3.5 million students were enrolled in home economics classes nationwide, a decrease of 38% over the prior decade.

From Salon ● Feb. 4, 2024

“It doesn’t,” replied Ms. Martin, who is also a Republican and taught home economics for 18 years at the Pittsburg School down the road.

From New York Times ● Jan. 22, 2024

There was the blow-up in home economics when Mrs. Anderson called her out for turning in a store-bought dress as her sewing project.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez