What does household mean?
A household is the people who live together in one home, considered as a family, domestic unit, or group of occupants. The word can also refer to the home itself in contexts where the focus is on its domestic character, as in “a household in the countryside.” When used as an adjective, household describes things connected with home life, such as chores, appliances, furniture, income, or expenses. It is used in both British and American English and has a formal, practical tone, especially in statistics, public policy, household management, and descriptions of family life. Unlike “family,” which emphasizes kinship, “household” primarily emphasizes shared residence and can include people who are not related. It can also refer to a person’s domestic sphere, contrasting private home life with work or public life. The term is therefore useful whenever a discussion concerns not merely a building, but the people and shared domestic life associated with it.
The people who live together in one home, considered as a family or domestic unit; also, a home together with the people who occupy it.
"The household includes three adults and two children."
Countable; the plural is “households.” It is often broader than “family” because it includes all people sharing the residence.
Belonging to or concerning a home and the people who live in it.
"The repair shop sells household appliances and replacement parts."
Commonly used attributively before nouns such as “chores,” “income,” “appliances,” and “furniture.”
The standard plural is “households.” In demographic and statistical contexts, “households” commonly means groups of people sharing a residence.
"The survey included households with children and households without children."
From a building to the people who share it, “household” captures the idea that a home is both a place and a community.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does household come from?
“Household” is a Middle English compound built on the Germanic roots represented by “house” and “hold.” Its earliest use referred to a person who held or occupied a house, and it later developed the sense of a house together with its occupants. The modern meaning extended from the physical dwelling to the group of people living in it, while the adjectival use developed from the idea of something belonging to a home or domestic unit.
How household is actually used
“Household” is formal but broadly neutral. As a noun it is countable and normally refers to a group of people sharing a residence; in administrative contexts, such as household income or household size, it is often used to describe the people or unit for statistical purposes. As an adjective, it commonly forms phrases such as household chores, appliances, and expenses.
Easily confused with household
A home is the place where someone lives, whereas a household usually emphasizes the people who live there or the domestic unit they form.