breadwinner

noun

bread·​win·​ner ˈbred-ˌwi-nər How to pronounce breadwinner (audio)
plural breadwinners
1
: a member of a family whose wages supply the family's principal or only means of support
the main/primary/sole breadwinner in the family
… many more households have two breadwinners, making it unlikely that there will be someone home all afternoon to cook.—Mark Bittman
2
: a means (such as a tool, craft, or activity) of livelihood : a way of earning income
Crop diversity kept the overall value of Montana agriculture strong even as wheat, the state agriculture's breadwinner, faltered.—Tom Lutey
Catfish farming has become the breadwinner industry for many families in west Alabama …—Robert Dewitt and Benita D. Newton
breadwinning
ˈbred-ˌwi-niŋ How to pronounce breadwinner (audio)
noun

Examples of breadwinner 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.
Tax breaks to reward male breadwinners and female homemakers. — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026 How did that impact your relationship with your parents, being the breadwinner? — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2026 Every single person in that firm was the primary breadwinner for their family. — Katie Drummond, Wired News, 19 May 2026 The decades that followed brought new worries about masculinity related to the decline of the family wage and the male breadwinner. — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for breadwinner

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1614, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of breadwinner was circa 1614

Rhymes for breadwinner

See All Rhymes for breadwinner

Browse Nearby Words

bread wheat
breadwinner
breadwinning
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Breadwinner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breadwinner. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

breadwinner

noun
bread·​win·​ner ˈbred-ˌwin-ər How to pronounce breadwinner (audio)
: a person whose wages provide support for his or her family

More from Merriam-Webster on breadwinner

Nglish: Translation of breadwinner for Spanish Speakers

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