caregiver

caregiver — noun

1. A person who looks after a child, an older adult, or someone who is ill or has a

1.nounB2
Definition

A person who looks after a child, an older adult, or someone who is ill or has a disability. Caregivers can be unpaid family members or paid professionals who provide this care in homes or facilities.

Example

Mei-Lin became her father's primary caregiver after his surgery.

primary caregiver — common collocation for the main person providing care

The home-care agency sent a trained caregiver to visit Mr. Chen each morning.

trained caregiver — professional context

Common collocations
  • primary caregiver
  • family caregiver
  • professional caregiver
  • full-time caregiver
  • caregiver for
  • caregiver support group
Synonyms
  • carer

    the standard term in British English; used especially for family members who provide unpaid care

  • healthcare worker

    broader term that includes nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals, not only personal care

  • attendant

    more formal and narrower; often refers to paid care in a hospital or institution

Usage Note

Often modified by words that describe the type or role: primary caregiver, family caregiver, professional caregiver, or full-time caregiver. Followed by for when specifying who is cared for (a caregiver for her elderly mother). In British English, carer is the more common term for unpaid family care.

Common Mistakes

He works as a caretaker for elderly patients.
He works as a caregiver for elderly patients.
In American English, caretaker usually means a person who looks after a building, not a person who provides personal care.

Word family

  • care
    nounA2
  • care
    verbA2
  • caregiving
    nounC1
  • caretaker
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

這三個詞容易混淆。caregiver 是美式英語的標準用詞，指任何提供照護的人，無論是家庭成員還是受薪專業人員。carer 是英式英語的對應詞，尤其在英國常用於指 unpaid（無償）的家庭照護者，例如 a carer for her disabled son。caretaker 在美式英語中最常見的意思是「管理員」（負責看管建築物的人），而非照護者；若想用 caretaker 表示照護者，在英國英語中雖可接受，但在美國可能造成誤解。舉例來說：✅ My sister is the primary caregiver for our grandmother.（美式）✅ My sister is the main carer for our grandmother.（英式）❌ My sister is the caretaker for our grandmother.（美式可能被誤解為大樓管理員）

caregiver ↗caretakercarer

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • support group
  • burnout
  • training
  • respite care

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishModern English

A compound of care (from Old English caru, meaning 'sorrow, anxiety, concern') and giver (from Old English giefan, 'to give'). The word became common in American English during the 1970s as a neutral and respectful term for people providing personal care, replacing older terms like 'attendant' or 'custodian'.