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 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.
These clients usually have no issue being the breadwinner in a relationship. Myisha Battle, TIME, 31 Jan. 2025 People will have their families broken, breadwinners will disappear, and children will come home from school to empty houses. Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2025 In admiration for Palmer’s resilience, fans flooded social media with messages of support, praising her vulnerability and strength to take on the role of breadwinner as a child. Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 21 Nov. 2024 But as posting about kids has grown into a legitimate industry online, so has discourse about the ethics of turning children into their families’ breadwinners. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2025 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

Dictionary Entries Near breadwinner

Cite this Entry

“Breadwinner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breadwinner. Accessed 5 Feb. 2025.

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

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