Dictionary

breadwinner en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈbɹɛdˌwɪnɚ/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From bread + winner, where to win = to earn. Compare West Frisian breawinning (“livelihood”, literally “bread-winning”), Dutch broodwinning (“livelihood”).

Meanings

1. The primary income-earner in a household.
   • The female breadwinners who are making more than their working husbands are in a whole different income bracket; their median household income is $80,000. The role of men is evolving even in the three-quarters of dual-parent families in which fathers are the primary breadwinners. […] Those fathers reported that being a breadwinner was less important to them than providing their children with love and emotional support, being present and involved in their child’s life, or being a good mentor and role model. 2013 June 3, Brad Harrington, “Behind the Data on Breadwinner Mothers”, in The New York Times:
   • At one side lay the little town of Hollingford, into a street of which Mr. Gibson's front door opened; and delicate columns, and little puffs of smoke were already beginning to rise from many a cottage chimney where some housewife was already up, and preparing breakfast for the bread-winner of the family. 1865, Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, Wives and Daughters, Chapter I:

Forms

Relateds

breadwinning · put bread on the table · daily bread

Synonyms

breadearner

Translations (59)

ar مُعِيل (primary income-earner in a household) · ar عَائِل (primary income-earner in a household) · de Geldverdiener (primary income-earner in a household) · az çörəkağacı (primary income-earner in a household) · gd cothaiche (primary income-earner in a household) · st mohlokomedi wa lelapa (primary income-earner in a household) · es quien mantiene a la familia (primary income-earner in a household) · es el único que trae dinero al hogar (primary income-earner in a household) · sv familjeförsörjare (primary income-earner in a household) · id pencari nafkah (primary income-earner in a household) · eo panakiranto (primary income-earner in a household) · ko 가장 (primary income-earner in a household) · es sostén financiero de familia (primary income-earner in a household) · nb familieforsørger (primary income-earner in a household) · ja 大黒柱 (primary income-earner in a household) · gd neach-cothachaidh (primary income-earner in a household) · az çörək tapan (primary income-earner in a household) · ko 부양자 (primary income-earner in a household) · cmn 養家的人 /养家的人 (primary income-earner in a household) · fr pain (primary income-earner in a household) · ru добы́тчик (primary income-earner in a household) · fr soutien de famille (primary income-earner in a household) · hu családfenntartó (primary income-earner in a household) · gd fear-cosnaidh (primary income-earner in a household) · arz عائل (primary income-earner in a household) · ka მკვებავი (primary income-earner in a household) · ru корми́лец (primary income-earner in a household) · ro câștigător de pâine (primary income-earner in a household) · ka დამპურებელი (primary income-earner in a household) · ko 벌이하는 사람 (primary income-earner in a household) · pl żywiciel rodziny (primary income-earner in a household) · id penghasil (primary income-earner in a household) · ga saothraí (primary income-earner in a household) · cmn 養家糊口的人 /养家糊口的人 (primary income-earner in a household) · fi perheen elättäjä (primary income-earner in a household) · de Broterwerberin (primary income-earner in a household) · hu kenyérkereső (primary income-earner in a household) · ka მარჩენალი (primary income-earner in a household) · ro salariat (primary income-earner in a household) · fr gagne-pain (primary income-earner in a household) · pt ganha-pão (primary income-earner in a household) · nrf gângne-pain (primary income-earner in a household) · nl kostwinner (primary income-earner in a household) · da familieforsørger (primary income-earner in a household) · cmn 養家活口的人 /养家活口的人 (primary income-earner in a household) · ru добы́тчица (primary income-earner in a household) · nb forsørger (primary income-earner in a household) · de Geldverdienerin (primary income-earner in a household) · ms pencari nafkah (primary income-earner in a household) · de Broterwerber (primary income-earner in a household) · fa-ira نانآوَر (primary income-earner in a household) · da forsørger (primary income-earner in a household) · nl broodwinner (primary income-earner in a household) · af broodwinner (primary income-earner in a household) · ja 稼ぎ手 (primary income-earner in a household) · id tulang punggung (primary income-earner in a household) · ja 扶養者 (primary income-earner in a household) · izh elättäjä (primary income-earner in a household) · ru корми́лица (primary income-earner in a household)