tradwife

noun

trad·​wife ˈtrad-ˌwīf 

variants or less commonly trad wife

plural tradwives also trad wives

: a married woman who embraces traditional gender roles (such as being a stay-at-home wife and mother)

The tradwife thinks the patriarchy is a healthy and necessary aspect of society, one where women can be a homemaker …

—Simone Hanna

There's a toxic tradwife version of spousal selflessness that is merely transactional. It features youthful, attractive women who trade submissiveness for resources and fidelity from men.

—Meaghan Kohler

So while personally I'd rather eat my own eyeball … than become a subservient tradwife, I not only understand the desire of some women to return to what they believe is an easier and simple way of life, I respect it.

—Wendy Squires

often : such a woman who promotes and shares her lifestyle and beliefs online

Alena Kate Pettitt is a self-proclaimed "trad wife," one of the earliest and best known in a burgeoning movement of women who spend their days taking care of their homes and families and documenting their activities on social media.

—@newyorkermag, on Instagram

The popularity of the tradwife aesthetic has prompted debate over whether influencers are glamorizing a return to fundamentalist values, such as women retreating from the workplace to care for their husband and children.

—Ej Dickson

Word History

Etymology

traditional wife

First Known Use

circa 2016, in the meaning defined above