housewife

noun

house·​wife ˈhau̇s-ˌwīf 

 especially in sense 2 and in early poetry  ˈhə-zəf,

or

-səf 

plural housewives ˈhau̇s-ˌwīvz 

 also  ˈhau̇z-ˌwīvz;

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

ˈhau̇s-ˌwīf-lē-nəs 

noun

housewifely

ˈhau̇s-ˌwīf-lē 

adjective

housewifery

ˈhau̇s-ˌwī-f(ə-)rē 

 British  -(ˌ)wi-f(ə-)rē

 also  ˈhə-zə-frē

noun

housewifey

ˈhau̇s-ˌwī-fē 

adjective

Examples of housewife in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Members like Harris traveled to places like Milwaukee in order to to walk through Black neighborhoods and conduct interviews with barbers, housewives and community activists — people who lived there during the disturbances and didn't just watch them from a safe distance on TV. —Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 9 Apr. 2024

Beyoncé’s aggression is so outsize, so bold, as to amuse in the manner of a fight between reality-TV housewives. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 29 Mar. 2024

This new group of housewives goes through everything together: divorces, wine-label launches, and the constant terror of living in the besieged Roku City. —Dennard Dayle, The New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2024

As the show’s costume designer, Alix Friedberg, explains, fashioning Maxine and her fellow housewives was central to Palm Royale’s storytelling. —Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2024

Twelve years on from embodying Wisteria Lane’s housewife Gabrielle Solis, Longoria has gone on to become a director, the CEO of her own production company, UnbeliEVAble Entertainment and a political activist. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024

The film stars Gena Rowlands in what many consider to be among the greatest film performances of all time as a Los Angeles housewife grappling with addiction and mental illness. —Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024

His mother, then a housewife, returned to the fields to shoulder the cost. —Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina: Despite what Bravo promotes, Hilton Head Island in South Carolina isn’t only for housewives and reality television professionals. —Dominique Fluker, Essence, 4 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

housewife

noun

house·​wife ˈhau̇-ˌswīf 

sense 2 is often

ˈhəz-əf 

ˈhəs-əf

1

: a married woman who manages her own home

2

: a small container for small articles (as thread)

housewifeliness

ˈhau̇-ˌswī-flē-nəs 

noun

housewifely

-flē 

adjective

housewifery

ˈhau̇-ˌswī-fə-rē 

-frē

noun