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mommy track

American  

noun

  1. a career path for women who are willing to forgo promotions, raises, etc., so as to spend more time with their children.


mommy track British  
/ ˈmɒmɪ /

noun

  1. a path in life in which a woman devotes most of her time to her children and home rather than to her career

"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 mommy track

First recorded in 1989

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.

Her new job, on a team that some refer to as the “mommy track,” affords her much more time at home with her husband and two older children in their Astoria, Queens, apartment.

From New York Times

Once on the “mommy track,” women make less money and have fewer opportunities for advancement.

From New York Times

Gamba made a point of telling co-workers she didn’t want children, she said, hoping to avoid the perception she was on the “mommy track” rather than the “promotion track.”

From Washington Post

That’s helpful, because I have a hunch that many people would respond more sympathetically to a woman who decided to spend time raising her children — to take the “mommy track” — than to a man who made the same choice.

From New York Times

For the most part, “there is no ‘mommy track’ in personal finance,” Puritz said.

From Washington Post