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

Each 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.

You probably can imagine the difficulty a caregiver can have getting an immobile patient into a whirlpool.

—Paul G. Donahue

caregiving

ˈker-ˌgi-viŋ 

noun

… researchers have repeatedly documented the psychiatric and physical health effects of family caregiving.

—Richard Schulz et al.

Many readers … had their own stories of being treated badly at work because of caregiving duties.

—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

Synonyms

• carer
• caretaker
• guardian

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

Our caregivers and families may confuse us through both verbal and nonverbal communication, and that can contribute, later in life, to difficulty in reading social cues and a tendency to doubt our own beliefs. —The New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2024

Pancreatic cancer survivors, caregivers and community members can join the fundraiser walk hosted by the nonprofit Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. —Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

caregiver

noun

care·​giv·​er -ˌgiv-ər 

: a person who provides direct care (as for children, elderly people, or the chronically ill)

parents and other caregivers

caregiving

-iŋ 

noun