housewife
gb/hˈaʊswˌaɪf/ us/hˈaʊswˌaɪf/
B1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
role
1
woman managing a home full-time
a woman who stays at home and takes care of the house
Usage pattern:
a/an housewife; [someone] is a housewife
Common mistake:
In modern English it is gender-specific and can sound old-fashioned or stereotyped in some contexts; many people prefer homemaker or stay-at-home parent.
Synonyms
homemaker (More neutral and common; not necessarily female.)
|
stay-at-home mother (Specifically focuses on childcare as well as the home.)
Antonyms
breadwinner (Person who earns most of the household income.)
|
working woman (Emphasizes paid work outside the home.)
Collocations
full-time housewife
|stay-at-home housewife
|traditional housewife
|working housewife
|devoted housewife
|housewife and mother
|be a housewife
|become a housewife
|housewife duties
|housewife role
Themes
family
|daily_life
|home
|work
Examples
- She left her job and became a housewife after the baby was born.
- In the 1950s, advertising often assumed every customer was a housewife.
- He described his mother as a housewife who also volunteered at the local school.
Learner examples
- My aunt is a housewife.
- She is a housewife and takes care of the children.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
2
small sewing kit in a case
a small kit with needles and thread for sewing
Usage pattern:
a/an housewife (meaning a sewing kit)
Common mistake:
This meaning is uncommon; most speakers will understand housewife only as a person unless the context is clearly about sewing.
Synonyms
mending kit (More common modern term.)
|
sewing kit (General modern term for the same object.)
Antonyms
toolbox (A container for general tools, not sewing supplies.)
Collocations
carry a housewife
|pack a housewife
|a navy housewife
|a soldier's housewife
|a sewing housewife
|a housewife kit
|a housewife roll
|mending with a housewife
Themes
clothing
|daily_life
|tools
Examples
- He kept a small housewife in his bag for quick repairs to buttons and hems.
- The museum display included a sailor's housewife filled with needles and thread.
Learner examples
- I keep a small sewing kit for travel.
Grammar
Dictionary form
housewife
IPA
GB/hˈaʊswˌaɪf/
US/hˈaʊswˌaɪf/
Syllables & stress
house - wife (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (house)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: housewife
- Plural: house wives, house-wives, housewives
Word family
Forms
house wives
noun
house-wives
noun
housewives
noun
Core family
homemaker
noun
housework
noun A2
Related words
Advanced or less common
homemaking
noun
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.