housewife
Americannoun
-
housewives
plural
-
Sometimes Offensive. a married woman who manages her own household, especially as her principal occupation.
-
British. a sewing box; a small case or box for needles, thread, etc.
verb (used with or without object)
noun
-
a woman, typically a married woman, who keeps house, usually without having paid employment
-
Also called: hussy, huswife. a small sewing kit issued to soldiers
Sensitive Note
Most people, married or unmarried, find the term housewife perfectly acceptable. But it is sometimes perceived as insulting, perhaps because it implies a lowly status (“She’s just a housewife”) or because it defines an occupation in terms of a woman's relation to a man. Homemaker is a fairly common substitute.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of housewife
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English hus(e)wif; see origin at house, wife
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:
But the housewife in these displays was still expected to remain responsible for the home.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
"I have no words," Maria Caridad Alvarez, a 62-year-old housewife, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
"The loss of the leader is heavier than losing our parents," Hoda, a 35-year-old housewife, told AFP news agency.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
In 1899 Kate Chopin’s novel “The Awakening,” about a mutineering New Orleans housewife, challenged conventions of marriage and motherhood.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
She kept the religious traditions of a Jewish housewife and was loyal to her husband, but Tateh had absolutely no love for her.
From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride
Tradwife content whitewashes history, but an honest look shows that contempt for housewives was a widespread theme in the past.
From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2026
German defence giant Rheinmetall on Sunday sought to smooth over a row caused by comments from its boss comparing Ukrainian factories producing drones to "housewives" making weapons in their kitchens.
From Barron's ● Mar. 29, 2026
The nation's first Games gold in 18 years had been won by what was dismissively - and erroneously - described at the time as a group of Scottish housewives in an odd little sport.
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2026
The series was set to begin filming in the spring and follow Zarin and fellow housewives Kelly Bensimon, Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer and Sonja Morgan in South Florida, according to Deadline.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2026
We went to fetch water together, and we played with empty tuna and tomato paste cans, pretending to cook and be housewives.
From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
