personal care

American  

noun

1. assistance in dressing, grooming, etc., provided to elderly, disabled, or other persons who are unable to care for themselves.

2. the act or process of dressing or grooming oneself.

---

personal care British  

noun

1. help given to elderly or infirm people with essential everyday activities such as washing, dressing, and meals

---

Other Word Forms

• personal-care adjective

Etymology

Origin of personal care

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Only 16% said they regularly helped with more hands-on personal care like bathing and dressing, while 15% said they did this occasionally.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026

Prices in categories like household furnishings, personal care products and electronic devices such as computers, tablets, and smart home assistants all rose sharply in January.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Church & Dwight CHD 0.52%increase; green up pointing triangle posted sales growth in the fourth quarter as an increase in personal care product sales offset a decline in revenue from household products.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

Despite doctors not expecting me to live beyond a toddler, I'm now 25, working as a BBC journalist and living independently with the help of personal care assistants.

From BBC • Jan. 9, 2026

Queen Victoria complimented her on her devoted personal care of her children, and sent her an autographed carte de visite, as they were still called then, framed in brilliants.

From The Strange Cases of Dr. Stanchon by Bacon, Josephine Dodge Daskam