housebroken

adjective

house·​bro·​ken ˈhau̇s-ˌbrō-kən How to pronounce housebroken (audio)
Synonyms of housebrokennext
1
: trained to excretory habits acceptable in indoor living
used of a household pet
2
: made tractable or polite

Examples of housebroken in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One housebroken joey would watch television in their living room. Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2021 Sherman, discarded by the Seahawks, arrives with bad-puppy baggage — old, banged-up, a rep for being not quite housebroken. Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of housebroken was in 1885

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Cite this Entry

“Housebroken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/housebroken. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

housebroken

adjective
house·​bro·​ken -ˌbrō-kən How to pronounce housebroken (audio)
: trained in habits of eliminating bodily waste that are acceptable in indoor living
a housebroken dog

Medical Definition

housebroken

adjective
house·​bro·​ken -ˌbrō-kən How to pronounce housebroken (audio)
: trained to excretory habits acceptable in indoor living
used of a household pet

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