housekeeper

noun

house·​keep·​er ˈhau̇s-ˌkē-pər 

1

: one employed to manage the domestic duties involved in maintaining a house

2

: a member of a household who manages the domestic duties of the household

She was her father's housekeeper …

—Lucy Maud Montgomery

especially : one who keeps house in a specified way

was always a good/poor housekeeper

… a tidy housekeeper who kept flowers outside his unit …

—Kyle Swenson

Synonyms of housekeeper

• maid

Examples of housekeeper in a Sentence

they hired a housekeeper to help their aging parents live at home

Recent Examples on the Web

Kylie Jenner is named in a new lawsuit from her former live-in housekeeper, who claims other staffers at the reality star’s home subjected her to religious and racial discrimination, as well as bullying, and that Jenner failed to act in her defense. —Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026

The singer was found dead in his bathtub by a housekeeper. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2026

After the suspects left, the housekeeper escaped and went to a neighbor’s home to call for help. —Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026

During the burglary, the suspects allegedly took the housekeeper's phone and threw it in the ocean. —Matt Schooley, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1528, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for housekeeper

• beekeeper
• bookkeeper
• doorkeeper
• gamekeeper
• gatekeeper
• goalkeeper
• innkeeper
• minesweeper
• peacekeeper
• shopkeeper
• storekeeper
• timekeeper

Kids Definition

housekeeper

noun

house·​keep·​er ˈhau̇-ˌskē-pər 

: a person employed to take care of a house