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

Born in Mexico to a left-wing Catalan family, Adela’s spiritual and intellectual formation came from her grandparents, while her emotional nourishment was the realm of the housekeeper/nanny Paula (Teresita Sánchez). — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026

The father put his daughter to bed and told his housekeeper he would be gone for a while. — Matthew Herper, STAT, 11 Aug. 2026

The actor said a housekeeper told his family that ‘God spoke to’ her about his trajectory. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026

The former California governor also shares youngest son Joseph Baena, 28, with former housekeeper Mildred Patricia Baena. — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 30 July 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