sole provider
Family's single support
A sole provider is the only person supplying financial support for a family or household.
The term emphasizes singular responsibility—no partner, co-parent, or other source shares the burden: As a sole provider, she worked two jobs to keep the family afloat.
The phrase often appears in discussions of single parenthood, divorce, or death of a spouse.
- single parentUnpartnered mother or father
- sustainerOne who preserves
- breadwinnerPrimary household earner
- primary earnerHousehold's main income source
- bringing home the baconEarning the family's livelihood
supporter · caretaker · monopolist · parent · family man · guardian · protector · backer · financier · maintainer · responsibility · benefactor · head of household · patron · sponsor · underwriter · spouse · nurturer
- breadwinnersearner, wage earner, primary earner, breadwinners
- spouseshusband, wife, spouse, hubby, wifey
- householdershouseholder, head of household, homeowner, property owner, landlord
- housing statushomeowner, renter, tenant, landlord, owned
- No Choiceno choice, no alternative, only option, take-it-or-leave-it, last resort
- draft defermentsdraft deferment, deferment, draft exemption, military exemption, student deferment