housework

noun

house·​work ˈhau̇s-ˌwərk How to pronounce housework (audio)
: the work of housekeeping

Examples of housework in a Sentence

I got up early and did some housework.
Recent Examples on the Web After doing housework for most of her life, she was sold and worked at harvesting cotton. Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 12 Sep. 2023 Heralding the arrival of Dartmouth’s first woman president, Kenyon focused on housework—and accused Beilock of shirking it. Olivia Gentile, BostonGlobe.com, 28 July 2023 The last thing anyone wants to worry about in the waning days of summer is housework. Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 12 Aug. 2023 Everything from walking to housework to dancing can contribute to well-being, studies have shown. Jamie Ducharme, Time, 8 Aug. 2023 Additionally, women, on whom much of housework and caregiving responsibilities disproportionately fall, vastly prefer remote work to men. Jane Thier, Fortune, 30 July 2023 Rolling Stone reported that Linda and their mom Thérèse helped with housework and cleaning for Céline, who had difficulty adjusting to life with two newborns. Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 26 July 2023 Zhang said her job is to do housework and spend time with her parents. Larissa Gao, NBC News, 24 July 2023 One potential explanation for the gender disparity: Women continue to shoulder the burden of housework and childcare, according to the survey results. Michael Sasso, Fortune, 22 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'housework.' 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

1613, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of housework was in 1613

Dictionary Entries Near housework

Cite this Entry

“Housework.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/housework. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

housework

noun
house·​work ˈhau̇-ˌswərk How to pronounce housework (audio)
: the work of housekeeping

More from Merriam-Webster on housework

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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