live-in
UK[ˈlɪv ɪn]US[ˈlɪv ɪn]
adj
(of a domestic employee, partner, or nanny) residing in the house of their employer or partner.
n
a person who lives in the house where they work or with their partner.
Morpheme Breakdown
live
in
live
verb
in
preposition
Etymology
The compound "live-in" is a modern English formation from the phrasal verb "to live in," meaning to reside within a particular place. The adjective and noun forms emerged in the 20th century, primarily to describe domestic employment arrangements where the worker resides on the employer's premises. The logic is transparently spatial: "live" denotes the state of residing, and "in" specifies the location as being within the household. This compound efficiently captures the concept of one's dwelling place being identical to one's workplace or partner's home.
Analysis
Structure: live (verb) + in (preposition)
live: From Old English libban, lifian (to be alive, to have life). A Germanic verb root.
in: From Old English in (in, into, within). A preposition of place and state.
Examples
They hired a live-in nurse to provide round-the-clock care for their elderly mother.
The position requires a live-in who can start immediately.
After dating for a year, they decided to become live-in partners.