ENGLISH
REFERENCE

household

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈhaʊsˌhoʊɫd// UK //hˈaʊshəʊld// house·hold Archaic General-service

n. all the people who live together in one house or flat. It can also mean the house itself and the work needed to keep it running.

n. a social unit consisting of all the people living together in the same dwelling. It encompasses the domestic management and maintenance of a home.


SIMPLE

Many households now have more than one car.

CONTEXTUAL

The government survey collects data on average household income to determine how much families spend on energy bills.

COMPLEX

The shift toward smaller households has significant implications for urban planning, as the demand for single-occupancy apartments continues to outpace the construction of traditional family homes.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English houshold. By surface analysis, house + hold. Cognate with Scots houshald, housald, housell, howsell (“household”), Dutch huishouden (“household”) (earlier huishoud), German Low German Huushollen (“household”) (Middle Low German hūsholt), German Haushalt (“household”), Swedish hushåll (“household, family”), Norwegian husholdning (“household”).

Usage

Often used as a modifier before other nouns, such as 'household chores' or 'household name'.

Pitfall

The households income is rising.The household income is rising.When used as an adjective to modify another noun, use the singular form 'household' rather than the plural.

© 2026 English Reference