household

1 of 2

noun

house·​hold ˈhau̇s-ˌhōld How to pronounce household (audio)
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

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
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.
Noun
Given the relatively high costs of backups, low-income households will probably not be able to afford them. Nives Dolsak and Aseem Prakash, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024 Additionally, household income has a major impact on youth participation. Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 22 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 See all Example Sentences for household 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of household was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near household

Cite this Entry

“Household.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/household. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

household

1 of 2 noun
house·​hold ˈhau̇s-ˌhōld How to pronounce household (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on household

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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