breadwinner

noun

bread·​win·​ner ˈbred-ˌwi-nər 

plural breadwinners

1

: a member of a family whose wages supply the family's principal or only means of support

the main/primary/sole breadwinner in the family

… many more households have two breadwinners, making it unlikely that there will be someone home all afternoon to cook.

—Mark Bittman

2

: a means (such as a tool, craft, or activity) of livelihood : a way of earning income

Crop diversity kept the overall value of Montana agriculture strong even as wheat, the state agriculture's breadwinner, faltered.

—Tom Lutey

Catfish farming has become the breadwinner industry for many families in west Alabama …

—Robert Dewitt and Benita D. Newton

breadwinning

ˈbred-ˌwi-niŋ 

noun

Examples of breadwinner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The foundation also is increasing its advocacy at the state and federal level and sharing stories such as that of a family of five, including two-month-old twins, whose breadwinner lost his job. —Mimi Whitefield, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2025

To date, $89,273 has been approved for participating households, with an additional $10,726 pending in rental assistance for applicants, including families who experienced a sudden loss of income after a family breadwinner was detained or deported. —Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025

Advocates say that military households are particularly hard hit during shutdowns because many military spouses work for the federal government, and so both breadwinners can be left without a paycheck. —Rebecca Schneid, Time, 12 Oct. 2025

Many Black mothers are primary breadwinners; when their income disappears, households wobble. —Essence, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1614, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for breadwinner

• beginner
• dinner
• inner
• pinner
• sinner
• spinner
• thinner
• tinner
• winner

Kids Definition

breadwinner

noun

bread·​win·​ner ˈbred-ˌwin-ər 

: a person whose wages provide support for his or her family