household

1 of 2

noun

house·​hold ˈhau̇s-ˌhōld 

ˈhau̇-ˌsōld

: those who dwell under the same roof and compose a family

also : a social unit composed of those living together in the same dwelling

household

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of or relating to a household : domestic

cooking and other household arts

2

: familiar, common

a household name

Synonyms

Noun

• extended family
• home
• house
• ménage

Adjective

• domestic
• familial

Examples of household in a Sentence

Noun

At that time, not many households had telephones.

the dish became a household word because of the sudden popularity of the cuisine

Adjective

they spent the weekend at home, attending to household chores

“ozone” is now a household word, thanks to global warming

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The average household income is $126,083, and the neighborhood is 54% white and 40% Black. —Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2025

Those who follow are most likely to be Gen-Z (aged 18-29), Millennials (30-44), middle-income households (earning $50K-$100K annually), and residents living in the Midwest and South. —Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025

Adjective

Sources of 2023 household debt in the US include: Credit Cards: $1.13 trillion Mortgage: $12.25 trillion Auto Loans: 1.61 trillion Student Loans: $1.6 trillion Outstanding balances also include debt from retail credit cards, consumer loans and other non-household expenses. —Kara Nelson, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024

Hancock said in the statement that his family canceled their traditional multi-household Thanksgiving celebration. —NBC News, 25 Nov. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing household

• head of the household
• household name
• household troops

Rhymes for household

• copyhold
• decontrolled
• hundredfold
• manifold
• marigold
• oversold
• petioled
• sevenfold
• stranglehold
• subthreshold
• thousandfold
• uncontrolled

Kids Definition

household

1 of 2 noun

house·​hold ˈhau̇s-ˌhōld 

ˈhau̇-ˌsōld

: those who live as a family in one house

also : a social unit made up of those living together in the same house

household

2 of 2 adjective

1

: of or relating to a household : domestic

2

: familiar entry 2 sense 3a, common

a household word