housewife

[ hous-wahyfor, usually, huhz-if ]

noun

, plural house·wives [hous, -wahyvz].

1. Sometimes Offensive. a married woman who manages her own household, especially as her principal occupation.
2. British. a sewing box; a small case or box for needles, thread, etc.

verb (used with or without object)

, house·wifed, house·wif·ing.

1. Archaic. to manage with efficiency and economy, as a household.

housewife

/ ˈhaʊsˌwɪfərɪ; -ˌwɪfrɪ; ˈhaʊsˌwaɪf /

noun

1. a woman, typically a married woman, who keeps house, usually without having paid employment
2. Also calledhussyhuswifeˈhʌzɪf a small sewing kit issued to soldiers

Sensitive Note

Most people, married or unmarried, find the term housewife perfectly acceptable. But it is sometimes perceived as insulting, perhaps because it implies a lowly status (“She’s just a housewife”) or because it defines an occupation in terms of a woman's relation to a man. Homemaker is a fairly common substitute.

Derived Forms

• housewifery, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of housewife¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English hus(e)wif; house, wife

Example Sentences

Rather than appealing to the housewife preparing comfort foods, sushi gained popularity by appealing to the desire for new and exciting experiences.

From Salon

With her taut jawline, blazing white teeth and recently slimmed-down physique, she has embraced the prototypical Housewife look.

From Los Angeles Times

Gay has taken the zeal and devotion she once felt for the LDS church and brought it to her role as a housewife.

From Los Angeles Times

Is she really cut out to be a housewife in the English countryside?

From Los Angeles Times

That period began in 1982, when he played a transgender woman in “The World According to Garp,” followed by a role in 1983’s “Terms of Endearment” as a temptation for Debra Winger’s frustrated housewife.

From Salon

Related Words

• homemaker