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

But when criminal networks exploit this hope and desperation, families like Lily’s are robbed of mothers, sisters, daughters – and breadwinners. —Ladan Anoushfar, CNN Money, 24 Nov. 2025

Over the next few decades, large numbers of stable, well-paying factory jobs disappeared, further challenging some men’s view of themselves as breadwinners. —Julia Meszaros, The Conversation, 21 Nov. 2025

While Miletti was the primary breadwinner in the house, her husband Tim had more contact with their kids. —Ricardo Torres, jsonline.com, 19 Nov. 2025

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

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