housewife

noun

house·​wife ˈhau̇s-ˌwīf How to pronounce housewife (audio)
 especially in sense 2 and in early poetry  ˈhə-zəf,
or
-səf How to pronounce housewife (audio)
plural housewives ˈhau̇s-ˌwīvz How to pronounce housewife (audio)
 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 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 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 The actress is best remembered for playing housewife Trixie Norton across 39 episodes of the classic TV sitcom. Ew Staff, EW.com, 23 Feb. 2024 For decades, crossword constructing was a pastime conflated with first-wave feminists and bored housewives. Anna Shechtman, The New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2024 While the original series was a comedy, showcasing Samantha’s efforts to be an average housewife, who just happened to be able to make magic with an adorable nose twitch, the reboot is rumored to be a drama, according to Deadline. Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2024 No recruiting militia passed through her village; her transformation from obedient housewife to swaggering gang leader was accomplished by sheer force of will. Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024 Beyond being simply a housewife, Kandi built an empire that seemingly grew even larger by being a part of RHOA. Shelby Stewart, Essence, 5 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'housewife.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near housewife

Cite this Entry

“Housewife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/housewife. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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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