caregiver
noun
care·giv·er
ˈker-ˌgi-vər 
plural caregivers
: a person who provides direct care (as for children, elderly people, or the chronically ill)
The care of a patient with Alzheimer's Disease or a related disorder can be a physical, emotional and financial drain on the family caregiver.—
Diane Duquette Ascioti
Diane Duquette AsciotiEach child was rated by at least one parent. Questionnaires completed by another significant caregiver (teacher or daycare provider) were available on 85% of the sample …—Alan E. Kazdin et al.
Alan E. Kazdin et al.You probably can imagine the difficulty a caregiver can have getting an immobile patient into a whirlpool.—Paul G. Donahue
Paul G. Donahue
caregiving
noun
… researchers have repeatedly documented the psychiatric and physical health effects of family caregiving.
—Richard Schulz et al.
Richard Schulz et al.
Many readers … had their own stories of being treated badly at work because of caregiving duties.
—Sue Shellenbarger
Sue Shellenbarger
One of the most significant ways you can help animals, educate yourself about the joys and heartbreaks of caregiving and earn untold psychic rewards is to volunteer at a shelter.
—Wendy Christensen
Wendy Christensen
Synonyms of caregiver
Examples of caregiver in a Sentence
When she got sick her husband became her primary caregiver.
he could no longer keep up his role as caregiver for his sick wife
Recent Examples on the Web
For children 18 to 24 months, the association recommends choosing high-quality educational content and using it together with a caregiver.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 2 Mar. 2026
Donaldson said parents and caregivers should also pay attention to how long the changes persist.
—Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
When Alex became ill, Harrison took on the role of full-time caregiver.
—Nina Zipkin, CNBC, 2 Mar. 2026
Perhaps not surprising, as more real-life men started choosing to become primary caregivers, more novels featuring them were published—and the characters’ commitment to caregiving noticeably improved.
—Eric Magnuson, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for caregiver
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Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 2 Mar. 2026
Donaldson said parents and caregivers should also pay attention to how long the changes persist.
—Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
When Alex became ill, Harrison took on the role of full-time caregiver.
—Nina Zipkin, CNBC, 2 Mar. 2026
Perhaps not surprising, as more real-life men started choosing to become primary caregivers, more novels featuring them were published—and the characters’ commitment to caregiving noticeably improved.
—Eric Magnuson, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for caregiver
Cite this Entry
“Caregiver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caregiver. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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