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 body was found by a housekeeper under the bed in her cabin. —CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025

The share of Americans who plan on tipping housekeepers has slid to 56 percent from 57 percent in 2024. —Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025

In fact, this year, over half of Americans (56%) plan on gifting or tipping their housekeeper and 47% are giving extra to their childcare provider and teacher, respectively, according to a recent Bankrate survey. —Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 3 Dec. 2025

She is reportedly discovered dead underneath a mattress by a housekeeper on the ship. —Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 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