household
Household (noun) means all the people who live together in one home, including family and any live-in staff. Example: “The whole household gathered for Sunday dinner.”
How to Use Household
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the people/things belonging to a home, or (as an adjective) something so well-known it feels part of everyday life.
Word Forms
households plural, Households plural
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The whole _____ gathered for Sunday dinner.
Etymology
From Middle English houshold, formed from house + hold.
Related Words
Rhymes for household
See all rhymes for household →Frequently Asked Questions
What does “household” mean?
The word “household” means all the people who live together in one home, including family and any live-in staff. In plain terms, either the people/things belonging to a home, or (as an adjective) something so well-known it feels part of everyday life.
How do you pronounce “household”?
“Household” is pronounced HOWS-hohld (/ˈhaʊshoʊld/ in IPA).
How do you use “household” in a sentence?
Here is “household” used in a sentence: “The whole household gathered for Sunday dinner.”
What part of speech is “household”?
Depending on how it is used, “household” can be a noun and an adjective.
Where does the word “household” come from?
The word “household” comes from Middle English. From Middle English houshold, formed from house + hold.
Is “household” a common word?
“Household” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “household” have?
“Household” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: all the people who live together in one home, including family and any live-in staff.
What is the difference between a household and a family?
A family is a group of people connected by blood, marriage, or adoption, whether or not they live together. A household is everyone who lives in one home, related or not. Flatmates, lodgers, or a single person living alone all count as a household but not as one family.
What is an example of a household?
A household is everyone sharing one home. Examples include a couple and their children, a group of friends renting a flat together, an older person living alone, or a family living alongside a live-in carer. What unites them is the shared home, not necessarily a family relationship.
What is a head of household?
Head of household usually refers to the main person responsible for a home, often the chief earner or decision-maker. The term appears frequently in surveys, official forms, and tax systems, where a single household member is recorded as the primary point of reference for the whole home.