housekeeper

noun

house·​keep·​er ˈhau̇s-ˌkē-pər How to pronounce housekeeper (audio)
Synonyms of housekeepernext
1
: one employed to manage the domestic duties involved in maintaining a house
2
: a member of a household who manages the domestic duties of the household
She was her father's housekeeper …—Lucy Maud Montgomery
especially : one who keeps house in a specified way
was always a good/poor housekeeper
… a tidy housekeeper who kept flowers outside his unit … —Kyle Swenson

Synonyms of housekeeper

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Examples of housekeeper in a Sentence

they hired a housekeeper to help their aging parents live at home
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.
Nerys Amber Stocks is also joining the cast for the special as Lucy, the Haywards’ housekeeper. — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026 Leeves has appeared in dozens of television and film projects, but is best known for her role in Frasier as a live-in housekeeper and physical therapist for Frasier’s father. — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2026 After Collin Gosselin accused his mother Kate Gosselin of abuse, the family’s former housekeeper is speaking out. — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 23 Oct. 2026 The great New Zealand actor Rachel House, as Chrissie’s housekeeper, has been tasked with bringing a discordantly comedic note by playing the character as overtly resentful of Klara’s arrival. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for housekeeper

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1528, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of housekeeper was circa 1528

Rhymes for housekeeper

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Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Housekeeper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/housekeeper. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

housekeeper

noun
house·​keep·​er ˈhau̇-ˌskē-pər How to pronounce housekeeper (audio)
: a person employed to take care of a house
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