household

1 of 2

noun

house·​hold ˈhau̇s-ˌhōld 

ˈhau̇-ˌsōld

: those who dwell under the same roof and compose a family

also : a social unit composed of those living together in the same dwelling

household

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of or relating to a household : domestic

cooking and other household arts

2

: familiar, common

a household name

Synonyms

Noun

• extended family
• home
• house
• ménage

Adjective

• domestic
• familial

Examples of household in a Sentence

Noun

At that time, not many households had telephones.

the dish became a household word because of the sudden popularity of the cuisine

Adjective

they spent the weekend at home, attending to household chores

“ozone” is now a household word, thanks to global warming

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And then more broadly, changing public-housing and housing-choice-voucher rules in order to punish households where immigrants reside. —Kim Velsey, Curbed, 11 Nov. 2024

The filing also details various financial agreements, including a credit facility agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JPM) Vital Farms continues to focus on expanding its product offerings and increasing household penetration in the retail and foodservice channels. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 7 Nov. 2024

Adjective

Sources of 2023 household debt in the US include: Credit Cards: $1.13 trillion Mortgage: $12.25 trillion Auto Loans: 1.61 trillion Student Loans: $1.6 trillion Outstanding balances also include debt from retail credit cards, consumer loans and other non-household expenses. —Kara Nelson, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024

Hancock said in the statement that his family canceled their traditional multi-household Thanksgiving celebration. —NBC News, 25 Nov. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing household

• head of the household
• household name
• household troops

Kids Definition

household

1 of 2 noun

house·​hold ˈhau̇s-ˌhōld 

ˈhau̇-ˌsōld

: those who live as a family in one house

also : a social unit made up of those living together in the same house

household

2 of 2 adjective

1

: of or relating to a household : domestic

2

: familiar entry 2 sense 3a, common

a household word