Definition

1. Noun:
   • A married woman who manages her household and does not have a job outside the home: A woman whose primary occupation is caring for her family, managing the home, and performing domestic duties, typically while her spouse is the primary income earner.
   • (Archaic) The female head of a household: Historically, a woman responsible for the management of a domestic establishment.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • She chose to be a housewife and focus on raising her children.
  • The study interviewed several housewives about their daily routines.
  • (Archaic) The housewife was skilled in managing the estate's accounts.

Advanced Usage

• "A housewife's work": Refers to the collective and often undervalued labor involved in managing a home and family.
  • The book explores the economic value of a housewife's work.
• Used to describe skills or tools associated with home management.
  • She has remarkable housewife skills in budgeting and organizing.

Variants and Related Words

• Housewifely (adj): Characteristic of or befitting a housewife.
  • She took a housewifely pride in her clean and orderly home.
• Housewifery (n, archaic): The work or skill of a housewife; household management.
  • Courses in housewifery were once common for young women.

Synonyms

• Homemaker: A person who manages the home (gender-neutral).
• Stay-at-home mother/wife: Specifies a woman caring for children at home.
• Home manager: Emphasizes the managerial aspect.

Antonyms

• Career woman: A woman whose primary focus is her professional occupation.
• Breadwinner: The primary income earner in a household.

Notes on Usage

• The term "housewife" is sometimes considered traditional or dated. More modern, inclusive, and neutral terms like homemaker or stay-at-home parent are often preferred.
• The term can carry cultural and socioeconomic connotations, implying a specific family structure with a sole male breadwinner.
• The archaic meaning pertains to the management of a household, which could include significant responsibility over servants and resources.

Noun

1. a wife who manages a household while her husband earns the family income