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Synonyms

household

American  
[hous-hohld, -ohld] / ˈhaʊsˌhoʊld, -ˌoʊld /

noun

  1. the people of a house collectively; a family including its servants.


adjective

  1. of or relating to a household.

    household furniture.

  2. for use in maintaining a home, especially for use in cooking, cleaning, laundering, repairing, etc., in the home.

    a household bleach.

  3. common or usual; ordinary.

household British  
/ ˈhaʊsˌhəʊld /

noun

  1. the people living together in one house collectively

  2. (modifier) of, relating to, or used in the running of a household; domestic

    household management

"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 household

First recorded in 1350–1400, household is from the Middle English word houshold. See house, hold 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.

There’s malware lurking in shady smartphone apps and cheap off-brand household electronics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

In 2022, household consumption was lifted by multiple tailwinds, including job growth coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, vestiges of government stimulus in response to the pandemic-related downturn, and strong household balance sheets.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

A lower-income household paying for a year at a public university, for example, “still has to come up with $15,000. That’s a loss for them. It’s just less than it used to be,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

When asked if support could go beyond people who receive benefits, Reeves said: "We're looking at ways in which we can support people based on their household income."

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

But the American demand for field workers and household servants surged, especially in places like South Carolina, where rice production was booming.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis