au pair

noun

ˈō-ˈper How to pronounce au pair (audio)
plural au pairs ˈō-ˈperz How to pronounce au pair (audio)
Synonyms of au pairnext
: a usually young foreign person who cares for children and does domestic work for a family in return for room and board and the opportunity to learn the family's language

Examples of au pair in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Leo confides in the shark to process a confusing world until the spirited and bubbly au pair Anya (Bakalova) bursts into their lives. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026 One section of the upper level includes a separate living area with its own entrance — an arrangement that could easily function as an in-law or au pair suite. — Miriam Schwartz, Hartford Courant, 8 Mar. 2026 The couple’s au pair involved in the plot, Juliana Peres Magalhaes, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. — Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 5 June 2026 Brendan Banfield and the 26-year-old au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, both took the stand during the double-murder trial and offered conflicting accounts about the killings. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 5 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for au pair

Word History

Etymology

French, on even terms

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of au pair was in 1934

Rhymes for au pair

See All Rhymes for au pair

Browse Nearby Words

auntsary
au pair
au pays des aveugles les borgnes sont rois
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Au pair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/au%20pair. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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