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

Her routines are maintained by the housekeeper. —James Horncastle, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026

Ski instructors, servers, housekeepers, and seasonal staff often commute long distances—or leave entirely. —Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Jan. 2026

King also said in recent years the hospital doubled the number of housekeepers per shift in its emergency department, and also increased the number of its emergency department transporters by 2%. —Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026

In this story, Nancy, her father, and her trusted housekeeper are heading up to an inn in the Adirondacks for a long weekend of skiing and cutting out paper Valentines until a murder occurs. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 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