Homemaker is a mainly American term which may refer either to:

• the person within a family who is primarily concerned with the management of the household, whether or not he or she works outside the home
• a person whose prime occupation is to care for their family and/or home

The term homemaker is preferred by some to housewife or househusband because it is inclusive, defines the role in terms of activities, rather than relation to another or gender, and is independent of marital status. The terms stay-at-home mom and stay-at-home dad are also used, particularly if the person views his or her central role as caring for children. The euphemistic term "domestic engineer" has gone out of favor, being seen by some as satirical, as if to give a sense of mock dignity to a role held in low esteem by the speaker. Likewise, the term "housekeeper" has come to describe hired cleaning help, and is no longer used—other than in a derogatory way—to describe homemaking.

Traditionally the role of "homemaker" has been filled predominantly by women. Even to this day, homemaking is perceived by many societies as the natural role for women. In recent years there has been some political and societal backlash against feminist criticism regarding traditional roles for women. This backlash may be attributed to the recent decades' progress of the feminist movement and its implications on society, and may be compared to the backlash that took place in postwar America. The backlash could be seen, at least in part, in both the increasing prominence of "professional" homemakers such as Martha Stewart, and a rise in Evangelical Christianity which views traditional roles as being conducive to the stability of the traditional family unit and the people therein. However, homemaking is not always a lifetime commitment: many homemakers, for economic or personal reasons, return to the workplace.

United States

According to the 2000 Census (table QT-P26), roughly half of all married couple families are dual-income, with both husband and wife working. In just under a quarter of families, only the husband worked. In 6.4% of families, only the wife worked.

Multicultural norms

In agriculture studies, the word "homemaker" is occasionally used referring to the person who does the majority of the chores within a farm's compound, as opposed to field and livestock work.

United Kingdom

The term "homemaker" is not used in the United Kingdom. Housewife is the preferred term in the UK and many other English speaking countries, and househusband is commonly used to refer to a male stay-at-home partner.

India

The Indian word "Grihast" or "Grihasta" perhaps comes closest to describing the entire gamut of activities and roles undertaken by the householder or homemaker. Grihast / Grihasta is the Sanskrit word for "Householder" or "Homemaker". Grih is the Sanskrit root for House or Home. Grihasta and Grihast are derivatives of this root.