household
Americannoun
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households
plural
adjective
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of or relating to a household.
household furniture.
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for use in maintaining a home, especially for use in cooking, cleaning, laundering, repairing, etc., in the home.
a household bleach.
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common or usual; ordinary.
noun
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the people living together in one house collectively
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(modifier) of, relating to, or used in the running of a household; domestic
household management
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of household
First recorded in 1350–1400, household is from the Middle English word houshold. See house, hold 1
Explanation
How many people does your house hold? That’s your household! A household refers to a family or group of people living together. It’s a social unit under one roof. All the people living in your house, including servants, make up your household. Don’t have any servants? Well, your roommates count as part of your household, too. In the middle of the night, your household might be asleep. Your household income could determine whether or not you get the pool in the backyard. Household can also be an adjective to describe — you guessed it — things that are in your house, like household appliances or household furniture.
Vocabulary lists containing household
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:
A native of San Jose, she grew up in a conservative household where the radio was permanently tuned to Christian stations.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Meanwhile, consumer-facing companies have been squeezed as higher borrowing costs and sticky inflation erode household purchasing power.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
"The combined impact of higher rates and higher energy prices is squeezing household budgets and adding to firms' costs," he says.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
In the episode “Helga on the Couch,” Helga’s emotionally neglectful household was on poignant display.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
An abundance of knitted sweaters and scarves began to appear on the household staff, which gave a cozy feeling to the grand house.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Due to the strikes, about 100,000 households in Kyiv and the region suffered internet outages.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele said the measures were aimed at easing pressure on households and businesses while avoiding a return to fuel subsidies.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
In 2016, households with children under age 18 had about $18,000 in additional annual expenses compared to households without children, according to a LendingTree analysis.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
In 2024, only 24% of Black households owned the home they lived in, compared with 73% of White households, according to the Pew Research Center.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
The group with homes, investments, and other assets worth more than $10 million comprised 338,400 households in 2001, the last year for which data are available.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
