ENGLISH
REFERENCE

housewives

n. countable
A2 Elementary US //ˈhaʊˌswaɪvz// UK //hˈaʊswaɪvz// house·wives

n. married women who stay at home to manage the house and look after the family instead of working a paid job.

n. plural form of 'housewife'; refers to married women whose primary occupation is managing household affairs and domestic duties.


SIMPLE

Many housewives in the neighborhood meet for coffee every Tuesday morning.

CONTEXTUAL

The magazine was originally designed to provide practical cooking and cleaning advice to suburban housewives during the 1950s.

COMPLEX

Sociologists often study how the traditional role of housewives has evolved as more women enter the professional workforce and domestic responsibilities are shared more equitably.

Synonyms
Usage

The plural is formed by changing the '-fe' ending of 'housewife' to '-ves'.

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