housekeeper

noun

house·​keep·​er ˈhau̇s-ˌkē-pər 

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

• biddy
• char [British]
• charwoman
• handmaiden
• handmaid
• house girl
• housemaid
• maid
• maidservant
• skivvy [British]
• wench [old-fashioned]

Examples of housekeeper in a Sentence

they hired a housekeeper to help their aging parents live at home

Recent Examples on the Web

According to a 1991 report from The New York Times, a window was left open after it was cleaned by a housekeeper. —Emma Kershaw, Peoplemag, 2 June 2024

The housekeeper tells her about Simon’s horrible childhood and father. —Kari Sonde, TIME, 21 May 2024

More than 27% of direct care workers and over 30% of nursing home housekeepers and maintenance workers are immigrants. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr. 2024

The law also covers support workers, such as janitors, housekeepers, food service workers, medical billing personnel and gift shop clerks. —Lindsey Holden, Sacramento Bee, 21 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1528, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

housekeeper

noun

house·​keep·​er ˈhau̇-ˌskē-pər 

: a person employed to take care of a house