breadwinner
noun
bread·win·ner
ˈbred-ˌwi-nər 
plural breadwinners
1
: a member of a family whose wages supply the family's principal or only means of support
the main/primary/sole breadwinner in the family
… many more households have two breadwinners, making it unlikely that there will be someone home all afternoon to cook.—
Mark Bittman
Mark Bittman2
: a means (such as a tool, craft, or activity) of livelihood : a way of earning income
Crop diversity kept the overall value of Montana agriculture strong even as wheat, the state agriculture's breadwinner, faltered.—Tom Lutey
Tom LuteyCatfish farming has become the breadwinner industry for many families in west Alabama …—Robert Dewitt and Benita D. Newton
Robert Dewitt and Benita D. NewtonExamples of breadwinner in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bah was the household breadwinner, while also sending money back to his wife and their three sons ages 5, 3 and 7 months.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 29 Feb. 2024
Men wearing side curls and black hats walk with sacred books to religious schools while Haredi women are the main breadwinners and child-care providers.
—Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 29 Jan. 2024
Men were strong, intelligent, and emotionally stable—natural breadwinners.
—Omar Saif Ghobash, Foreign Affairs, 29 Nov. 2016
Some women also served as the primary breadwinners of their families, and the lack of employment could lead to poverty.
—Devika Rao, theweek, 2 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for breadwinner 
Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 29 Feb. 2024
Men wearing side curls and black hats walk with sacred books to religious schools while Haredi women are the main breadwinners and child-care providers.
—Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 29 Jan. 2024
Men were strong, intelligent, and emotionally stable—natural breadwinners.
—Omar Saif Ghobash, Foreign Affairs, 29 Nov. 2016
Some women also served as the primary breadwinners of their families, and the lack of employment could lead to poverty.
—Devika Rao, theweek, 2 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for breadwinner
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'breadwinner.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near breadwinner
Cite this Entry
“Breadwinner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breadwinner. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
breadwinner
noun
bread·win·ner
ˈbred-ˌwin-ər
: a person whose wages provide support for his or her family
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