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

Mary Wickes played Emma Allen, the slightly nosy housekeeper of the inn. —Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025

Vesiolko worked as a housekeeper, under the table. —Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 21 Dec. 2025

Other honorees at Saturday’s luncheon were Irene Pettigrew, 92, a former housekeeper and Jordan Marsh department store employee, and Emma Bouie, 90, who still owns and operates a real estate business in Perrine. —Miami Herald, 20 Dec. 2025

While Nina’s 7-year-old daughter, Cece (Indiana Elle), is sullen, and her dreamboat husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), is politely cautious about the prospect of a live-in housekeeper, Nina herself seems nice enough at first, if a little intense. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025

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