Definition

1. Noun:
   • The person in a household who earns the primary income: A breadwinner is the member of a family whose wages or salary provide the main financial support for the other dependents.

Usage

• The term "breadwinner" is used to identify the primary economic provider within a family unit. It is a singular, countable noun.
• It is typically used in contexts discussing family roles, employment, and financial support.

Examples

• Noun:
  • After her husband passed away, she became the sole breadwinner for her three children.
  • In many traditional families, the father was considered the primary breadwinner.
  • Losing his job was devastating as he was the family's only breadwinner.

Advanced Usage

• "The breadwinner": This definite article is often used to specify the primary earner in a known or previously mentioned family context.
  • The injury meant he could no longer be the breadwinner.
• "Primary/sole/main breadwinner": Adjectives are frequently used to specify the level or exclusivity of this role.
  • She is the primary breadwinner, though her partner also works part-time.

Variants and Related Words

• Breadwinning (noun/adj): The activity of being a breadwinner; relating to earning the family's main income.
  • Breadwinning responsibilities often come with significant pressure.

Synonyms

• Provider: A person who supplies the necessities of life.
• Wage earner: A person who works for wages or a salary.
• Supporter: One who provides financial support.

Antonyms

• Dependent: A person who relies on another, especially for financial support.
• Homemaker: A person, often not employed outside the home, who manages the household.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "To be the bread and butter": While not identical, this idiom relates to a primary source of income or sustenance. The "breadwinner" is the person who provides the "bread and butter."
  • Farming was the family's bread and butter for generations.

Noun

1. one whose earnings are the primary source of support for their dependents