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 actors liked how Shanks inverted the relationship dynamic typically seen on screen, with Millie as the sensible breadwinner while Tim pursues his artistic longings. —Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 30 July 2025

Although, the Red Sox's biggest rival may now be second in line for the biggest breadwinners. —Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 June 2025

During that time, Savannah became both the family breadwinner and legal caretaker of her younger siblings Grayson, now 19, and Chloe, now 12. —Dory Jackson, People.com, 30 May 2025

Yet, as the podcast makes clear, the pressures of fame and the burden of being his family’s primary breadwinner took a toll. —William Earl, Variety, 1 Aug. 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