housewife

noun

house·​wife ˈhau̇s-ˌwīf How to pronounce housewife (audio)
 especially in sense 2 and in early poetry  ˈhə-zəf,
or
-səf How to pronounce housewife (audio)
plural housewives ˈhau̇s-ˌwīvz How to pronounce housewife (audio)
 also  ˈhau̇z-ˌwīvz;
ˈhə-zəfs,
-zəvz,
-səfs,
-səvz
1
: a married woman in charge of a household
2
: a pocket-size container for small articles (such as thread)
housewifeliness noun
housewifely adjective
housewifery
ˈhau̇s-ˌwī-f(ə-)rē How to pronounce housewife (audio)
 British  -(ˌ)wi-f(ə-)rē
 also  ˈhə-zə-frē
noun
housewifey adjective

Examples of housewife in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Hilton Head Island, South Carolina: Despite what Bravo promotes, Hilton Head Island in South Carolina isn’t only for housewives and reality television professionals. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 4 Mar. 2024 The actress is best remembered for playing housewife Trixie Norton across 39 episodes of the classic TV sitcom. Ew Staff, EW.com, 23 Feb. 2024 For decades, crossword constructing was a pastime conflated with first-wave feminists and bored housewives. Anna Shechtman, The New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2024 While the original series was a comedy, showcasing Samantha’s efforts to be an average housewife, who just happened to be able to make magic with an adorable nose twitch, the reboot is rumored to be a drama, according to Deadline. Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2024 No recruiting militia passed through her village; her transformation from obedient housewife to swaggering gang leader was accomplished by sheer force of will. Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024 Beyond being simply a housewife, Kandi built an empire that seemingly grew even larger by being a part of RHOA. Shelby Stewart, Essence, 5 Feb. 2024 As the use of servants declined, housewives became at once early adopters of new products meant to free them from drudgery and the corporate advertising that relentlessly defined them as household fixtures themselves. Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024 Erika, on the other hand, noted that the other housewives at the party had been engaged in similar topics and Denise, herself, had bragged about the size of her husband's unmentionables. Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 4 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'housewife.' 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

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of housewife was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near housewife

Cite this Entry

“Housewife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/housewife. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

housewife

noun
house·​wife ˈhau̇-ˌswīf How to pronounce housewife (audio)
sense 2 is often
ˈhəz-əf How to pronounce housewife (audio)
ˈhəs-əf
1
: a married woman who manages her own home
2
: a small container for small articles (as thread)
housewifeliness noun
housewifely adjective
housewifery noun

More from Merriam-Webster on housewife

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!