What does housebroken mean?
Housebroken describes a pet—especially a dog—that has been trained to eliminate indoors and behave appropriately in a house. The word is positive and informal, suggesting that an animal is clean, settled, and considerate of its household. Although it is most frequently used for dogs, it can apply more broadly to other pets accustomed to indoor life. Housebroken is formed from house and broken, but the compound developed a specialized meaning connected with training animals in domestic surroundings rather than with physically breaking a house. The expression can also carry a humorous implication: a housebroken pet is expected to respect the building's ordinary rules, especially the rule against soiling the floors. It is distinct from housebreaking, which refers to unlawful entry into a building. In ordinary use, housebroken conveys a practical result of training and a reassuring sign that a pet will fit comfortably into a home.
adjectiveTrained and accustomed to living indoors, especially used of a dog that has been taught not to urinate or defecate in the house.
- Trained to live indoors and not soil the house, especially of a dog.
"Their rescue dog was gentle, affectionate, and fully housebroken."
"The puppy was not yet housebroken, so the trainer placed a pad near the door."
"By the end of the first week, the shelter's greyhound was housebroken and comfortably settled in the apartment."
Housebreaking is a crime; being housebroken is a compliment to a dog's manners.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does housebroken come from?
Housebroken is an English compound formed from house and the past participle broken. House comes from Old English hūs, while broken derives from break, which traces to Old English brecan. The compound emerged in the 19th century in the context of training animals to live in a house and avoid soiling it. Its development reflects the broader use of broken in the nineteenth century to mean trained or accustomed, as in broken horses.
How housebroken is actually used
The expression is informal and everyday, and it most often describes dogs. It can also refer more generally to an animal trained to live indoors.
Easily confused with housebroken
Housebroken describes a pet trained to eliminate indoors, whereas housebreaking refers to entering a building illegally or by force.