housewife

[hous-wahyf, huhz-if]

noun

plural

housewives 

1. Sometimes Offensive.,  a married woman who manages her own household, especially as her principal occupation.

2. British.,  a sewing box; a small case or box for needles, thread, etc.

verb (used with or without object)

housewifed, housewifing 

1. Archaic.,  to manage with efficiency and economy, as a household.

housewife

/ ˈhaʊsˌwɪfərɪ, -ˌwɪfrɪ, ˈhaʊsˌwaɪf /

noun

1. a woman, typically a married woman, who keeps house, usually without having paid employment

2. 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

• housewifery noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of housewife¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English hus(e)wif; house, wife

Example Sentences

Credited with helping to ignite second-wave feminism in the 1960s, the book claimed that many middle-class, college-educated women were dissatisfied being confined to their roles as housewives and mothers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Along with her late husband, Kirk has routinely prescribed that women forgo college degrees and careers — even though she has both — so they can fully commit to being submissive housewives.

Read more on Salon

She mostly focused on raising her two daughters and being a housewife, according to South Africa's Daily Maverick news site.

Read more on BBC

British actor Pauline Collins, who earned an Oscar nomination for her turn as the stuck-in-a-rut housewife of “Shirley Valentine,” has died.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Collins will best remembered for her portrayal of disgruntled housewife Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's award-winning film, based on the acclaimed stage play by Willy Russell.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• homemaker