Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

husbandry

American  
[huhz-buhn-dree] / ˈhʌz bən dri /

noun

  1. the cultivation and production of edible crops or of animals for food; agriculture; farming.

  2. the science of raising crops or food animals.

  3. careful or thrifty management; frugality, thrift, or conservation.

  4. the management of domestic affairs or of resources generally.

husbandry British  
/ ˈhʌzbəndrɪ /

noun

  1. farming, esp when regarded as a science, skill, or art

  2. management of affairs and resources

"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
husbandry Scientific  
/ hŭz′bən-drē /

  1. The application of scientific principles to agriculture, especially to animal breeding.

Etymology

Origin of husbandry

First recorded in 1250–1300, husbandry is from the Middle English word housebondrie. See husband, -ry

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.

As a result, even veterinarians may rely on the husbandry guidelines developed by the community of serious crab keepers.

From Slate • Aug. 19, 2025

Once commercial options become available, they would likely be marketed as husbandry practices that maximize animal "happiness."

From Salon • May 15, 2024

Artificial insemination is now standard in beef and dairy cattle husbandry, and also in pig breeding.

From Science Daily • Feb. 16, 2024

Without that husbandry, deer over-multiplied, upending the ecosystem.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 27, 2023

Hagrid, becoming expansive under the influence of the drink and Slughorn’s flattering interest, stopped mopping his eyes and entered happily into a long explanation of bowtruckle husbandry.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling

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.