au pair

noun

plural au pairs ˈō-ˈperz How to pronounce au pair (audio)
: a usually young foreign person who cares for children and does domestic work for a family in return for room and board and the opportunity to learn the family's language

Examples of au pair in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When the woman turns toward the camera, Cecilie shocked: that is not her family’s au pair. Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 16 May 2025 Widowed with their two children, Jack Corbett Lynch and Sarah Corbett Lynch, the Irish businessman hired an American au pair named Molly Martens in 2008 to help him with childcare. Emily Blackwood, People.com, 13 May 2025 Molly Martens is an American woman from Knoxville, Tennessee, who worked as an au pair for Irish businessman Jason Corbett in Limerick, Ireland. Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025 While looking for help with his young kids, Corbett posted a job profile on an au pair agency website and hired the 24-year-old Tennessee native. Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for au pair

Word History

Etymology

French, on even terms

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of au pair was in 1934

Cite this Entry

“Au pair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/au%20pair. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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