breadwinner
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- 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
- one whose earnings are the primary source of support for their dependents