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Synonyms

homemaker

American  
[hohm-mey-ker] / ˈhoʊmˌmeɪ kər /

noun

homemakers plural
  1. a person who manages the household of their own family, especially as a principal occupation.

  2. a person employed to manage a household and do household chores for others, as for the sick or elderly.


homemaker British  
/ ˈhəʊmˌmeɪkə /

noun

  1. a person, esp a housewife, who manages a home

  2. a social worker who manages a household during the incapacity of the housewife

"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

Sensitive Note

See housewife.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of homemaker

First recorded in 1885–90; home + maker

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:

There’s an additional slathering of irony in Garner, the woman behind “Alias” superspy Sydney Bristow, playing the happy homemaker.

From Salon Jul. 26, 2026

Bhojwani, a homemaker in western Udaipur city, says she first got hooked on micro-dramas when an ad popped up on her Instagram feed.

From BBC May 1, 2026

Burden’s marriage began to settle into the traditional gender roles of homemaker and breadwinner, despite the fact that it was Burden who had financed their lifestyle.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 31, 2026

The homemaker from Richmond, Virginia said she was "sad for the families" of US soldiers who have lost their lives so far.

From Barron's Mar. 20, 2026

“They call it the land of opportunity, and I don’t think that’s changed much,” said Diana Lackey, a sixty-year-old homemaker and wife of a retired contractor in Fulton, New York, near Syracuse.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

On social media, for instance, “trad wives” or traditional wives are embracing being homemakers, while their husbands provide for the family.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 27, 2025

His workbook from 1945 showed homemakers and D.I.Y. types how to impose whimsy on their own lives and furniture via upcycling.

From New York Times Jan. 20, 2024

An Indian court's recent verdict that significantly expands the rights of homemakers over their husband's property has been hailed as a positive sign by women's rights advocates.

From BBC Jun. 28, 2023

Thus, the shift in the aesthetics of play kitchens may, at least in part, point to the growing pressure some homemakers feel to turn their own kitchens into a trophy of domestic achievement.

From Salon Jan. 28, 2023

Then he staged a series of luncheons with homemakers.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

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