housewife

noun

house·​wife ˈhau̇s-ˌwīf 

especially in sense 2 and in early poetry

ˈhə-zəf 

or -səf

plural housewives ˈhau̇s-ˌwīvz 

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

ˈhau̇s-ˌwīf-lē-nəs 

noun

housewifely

ˈhau̇s-ˌwīf-lē 

adjective

housewifery

ˈhau̇s-ˌwī-f(ə-)rē 

British -(ˌ)wi-f(ə-)rē

also ˈhə-zə-frē

noun

housewifey

ˈhau̇s-ˌwī-fē 

adjective

Examples of housewife in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sandra López Figueroa, a housewife, also enjoyed herself. —ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026

Komilova was a housewife who dedicated her life to her family, Azizov said. —Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026

Suburban Fury explores how Moore morphed from a conservative housewife to a radical intent on laying the groundwork for an uprising in America by eliminating the president. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2026

One of its peak popularity periods was in 1937, when Jewish housewives standardized the game and created the National Mah Jongg League. —Charlotte Observer, 1 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for housewife

• afterlife
• pocketknife
• alewife
• birdlife
• folklife
• jackknife
• loosestrife
• midlife
• midwife
• nightlife
• penknife
• wildlife

Kids Definition

housewife

noun

house·​wife ˈhau̇-ˌswīf 

sense 2 is often

ˈhəz-əf 

ˈhəs-əf

1

: a married woman who manages her own home

2

: a small container for small articles (as thread)

housewifeliness

ˈhau̇-ˌswī-flē-nəs 

noun

housewifely

-flē 

adjective

housewifery

ˈhau̇-ˌswī-fə-rē 

-frē

noun