household

SayHOWS-hohld/ˈhaʊshoʊld/UK/ˈhaʊshəʊld/

Pluralhouseholds

7 meanings of household

1
nouncountable
All the people who live together in one home.
Like a small team that all lives under one roof.
Our household has five people and two dogs.
Every household on the street lost power during the storm.
Similarfamily, house
Note
2
adjective
Used or found in the home.
Vinegar is a common household cleaner.
She keeps all the household tools in the garage.
Similardomestic, home
3
nouncountable
A group of people who live together and count as one unit.
The census counts every household in the country.
A single household can include people who are not related.
Similarfamily
Note
4
nouncountable
All the work and planning needed to keep a home running.
Like all the small jobs that keep a home running smoothly.
Running the household leaves her little free time.
They split the household evenly, sharing the cooking, cleaning, and bills.
Similarhome, house
5
adjective
Known by almost everyone and easy to recognize.
Like a name that everyone in the country already knows.
That singer is a household name now.
The brand became a household word after the ad campaign.
Similarfamiliar, famous, well-known
Oppositeunknown, obscure
Note
6
adjective
Belonging to the same home and family.
The household servants ate in the kitchen together.
They honored their household gods at the family shrine.
Similardomestic, family

Less common meaning

7
nounobsolete
A family line passed down over many years.
Like a family tree that goes back many years.
She came from a noble household that ruled the valley for generations.
In thee thy mother dies, our household's name, / My death's revenge, thy youth, and England's fame.
1591, William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”Here, household means a family line passed down over many years.
Note

Practice

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Origin

From Middle English houshold, made from house + hold.