empty nester

noun

empty nest·​er -ˈne-stər How to pronounce empty nester (audio)
: a parent whose children have grown and moved away from home

Examples of empty nester in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web With Apple in her second year of college and Moses in his senior year of high school, Paltrow is preparing to be an empty nester. Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024 The empty nesters doled out nearly $32 million for their new place, a single-story stunner in the western reaches of Beverly Hills. James McClain, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2024 The couple have been empty nesters since Sophia, 27, and Sistine, 25, began living together in New York City while Scarlet, 21, attends college at the University of Miami. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 The couple selling the tri-level dwelling, Brain and Nicki Runnels, are empty nesters who have been married for 31 years. The Indianapolis Star, 26 Feb. 2024 Milestones like a 40th or 50th birthday, or becoming an empty nester, can provoke uncertainty about your life and your future. Juli Fraga, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2024 Over the past half-century, America has gone from a country in which the predominant home buyer was a nuclear family with about three children to one in which singles, empty nesters and couples without children have become a much larger share of the population. Conor Dougherty, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2024 Snow and lawn maintenance are provided by the homes association, creating a true lock and leave lifestyle not only for empty nesters, but for anyone who doesn’t want the constraints of property maintenance and is looking for the freedom to enjoy other aspects of life. Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2024 Among the 50 largest U.S. metro areas, the share of large homes owned by empty nesters versus millennials with children varied — but the millennial share didn’t reach 18 percent in any metro, while empty nesters owned at least 20 percent of large homes everywhere. Michael Kolomatsky, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'empty nester.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of empty nester was in 1958

Dictionary Entries Near empty nester

Cite this Entry

“Empty nester.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empty%20nester. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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