What does housewife mean?
A housewife is a woman whose principal occupation is managing the home, caring for family members, and performing or overseeing domestic tasks. The word was once a common description of women who were not in paid employment, but today it is often regarded as dated because it can imply that homemaking is inherently women’s work. In historical writing, it usually describes a social role and may carry a sense of confinement or financial dependence, particularly when contrasted with the freedom of paid employment. In more neutral contemporary usage, “homemaker” generally offers a less explicitly gendered description. The distinction matters because domestic labor is work that many people perform regardless of gender, even though older language and social customs often associated it exclusively with women. The term nevertheless remains recognizable and useful when discussing the history of domestic roles, family life, and changing expectations of women’s work.
nounA woman whose principal occupation is managing the home and domestic household. The term is often dated and may be regarded as reinforcing traditional gender roles.
- A woman whose principal occupation is managing the home and domestic household.
- Historically, a woman identified primarily with her domestic role rather than with paid employment.
"She worked as a housewife before returning to professional life."
"Her mother was a housewife who raised four children."
"The novel portrays its heroine as a housewife dissatisfied with the restrictions of domestic life."
The standard plural of “housewife.”
"The biographies of the two housewives describe their different approaches to family life."
Once a conventional description of domestic life, “housewife” now often reveals as much about changing gender roles as about the job itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does housewife come from?
The word combines “house” and “wife,” both of Old English in origin. The compound appeared in the early modern period, when household management and family care were closely associated with married women. Its development reflects a long-established social division of labor rather than the terminology of a specific household occupation, and its modern use is increasingly qualified by changing attitudes toward gender roles.
Related word forms
How housewife is actually used
The term is often considered dated, especially in contemporary professional contexts. It can suggest a conventional division of household and paid work by gender, so alternatives such as “homemaker” may be preferred when describing an occupation. In older literature, however, it can simply identify a woman who does not have a paid job.
Easily confused with housewife
A housewife traditionally refers to a woman whose role is homemaking, whereas a housekeeper is employed to perform household duties, especially cleaning.
A housewife is a woman traditionally associated with unpaid domestic work, while a househusband is a man who performs that role.