housewife

noun

house·​wife ˈhau̇s-ˌwīf How to pronounce housewife (audio)
especially in sense 2 and in early poetry
ˈhə-zəf How to pronounce housewife (audio)
 or  -səf
plural housewives ˈhau̇s-ˌwīvz How to pronounce housewife (audio)
also
ˈhau̇z-ˌwīvz How to pronounce housewife (audio)
ˈhə-zəfs,
-zəvz,
-səfs,
-səvz
1
: a married woman in charge of a household
2
: a pocket-size container for small articles (such as thread)
housewifeliness noun
housewifely adjective
housewifery
ˈhau̇s-ˌwī-f(ə-)rē How to pronounce housewife (audio)
 British  -(ˌ)wi-f(ə-)rē
 also  ˈhə-zə-frē
noun
housewifey adjective

Examples of housewife in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To create the showbiz charade of being a beast in the ring and a nice presentable housewife the rest of the time. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025 Bibb most recently starred as Kate Bohr, a Texas housewife, in the third season of Mike White’s hit HBO drama series The White Lotus. Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025 Hawley waited until the start of the fifth season to lean all the way into the comparison, by borrowing the movie’s inciting incident where a Minnesota Nice housewife is kidnapped by two goons — one hapless, one relentless and seemingly mystical. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025 As a lonely housewife (Julianne Moore) strikes up a friendship with the son of her late gardener (Dennis Haysbert)—much to the horror of her neighbors—the foliage in their cozy suburb is completely on fire, forming a brilliant backdrop for a rather sad story. Emma Specter, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for housewife

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of housewife was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Housewife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/housewife. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

housewife

noun
house·​wife ˈhau̇-ˌswīf How to pronounce housewife (audio)
sense 2 is often
ˈhəz-əf How to pronounce housewife (audio)
ˈhəs-əf
1
: a married woman who manages her own home
2
: a small container for small articles (as thread)
housewifeliness noun
housewifely adjective
housewifery noun

More from Merriam-Webster on housewife

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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