Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

housekeeper

noun house·keep·er \ ˈhau̇s-ˌkē-pər \
|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Definition of housekeeper

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

See housekeeper defined for English-language learners

See housekeeper defined for kids

Examples of housekeeper in a Sentence

  1. the bachelor doctor could easily afford to hire a housekeeper to cook and clean

Recent Examples of housekeeper from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'housekeeper.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of housekeeper

circa 1528

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year
NEW! Time Traveler

housekeeper Synonyms

Synonyms

charwoman, handmaiden (also handmaid), housemaid, maid, maidservant;

Related Words

attendant, chambermaid;

nursemaid;

domestic, menial;

HOUSEKEEPER Defined for English Language Learners

housekeeper

noun

Definition of housekeeper for English Language Learners

  • : a person whose job is to manage the cooking, cleaning, etc., in a house

HOUSEKEEPER Defined for Kids

housekeeper

noun house·keep·er \ ˈhau̇s-ˌkē-pər \

Definition of housekeeper for Students

: a person employed to take care of a house

Learn More about housekeeper

  1. See words that rhyme with housekeeper Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for housekeeper Spanish Central: Translation of housekeeper Nglish: Translation of housekeeper for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of housekeeper for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up housekeeper? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

notorious

play

widely and unfavorably known

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. asylum 'protection from arrest and extradition given especially to political refugees'

  2. insubordinate 'disobedient to authority'

  3. promulgate 'to make known by open declaration'

  4. epochal 'momentous or unparalleled'

  5. clemency 'merciful treatment of someone who could be given harsh punishment'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

housekeeper

Test Your Vocabulary

Words for Summer: A Quiz

  • a-closeup-of-a-sunflower
  • Which of the following words means “of or relating to summer”?
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games