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

The two housekeepers denied having such a conversation with Brown, noting language differences would have made such a discussion unlikely. — Chris Willman, Variety, 1 July 2026

Avila alleged in her lawsuit that she and sister Maria Avila were hired in November 2020 as housekeepers at Brown’s home in Tarzana. — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

Sandy Shannon, 62, a guest at the hotel, said a woman was sprayed on the fourth floor, with two housekeepers coming to her aid. — Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 29 June 2026

She was then given to another family and essentially served as their housekeeper and caretaker from that point onward. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 26 June 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