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day care

noun

variants or less commonly daycare or day-care
1
: supervision of and care for children or physically or mentally disabled adults that is provided during the day by a person or organization
often used before another noun
a day care center
day care workers
day-care facilities
2
: a program, facility, or organization offering day care
a child enrolled in day care

Examples of day care in a Sentence

She left work early to pick up her son from day care.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Your babysitter calls in sick, or your day care shuts down, perhaps permanently, and the feeling curdles into existential dread. Lauren Hilgers, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025 Detectives found several additional victims while investigating the day care run by 51-year-old Michelle Renee Sanders, the Loveland Police Department said in a news release. Katie Langford, Denver Post, 23 Nov. 2025 In September 2023, four children, including Nicholas, were rushed from the day care to a local hospital to be treated for fentanyl poisoning. Jennifer Bisram, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2025 Diana Santillana Galeano, the day care teacher detained by ICE officers last week, has been released from immigration detention, her lawyers said. Armando Garcia, ABC News, 13 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for day care

Word History

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of day care was in 1898

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Day care.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/day%20care. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

day care

noun
1
: supervision of and care for children or disabled adults that is provided during the day by a person or organization
2
: a program, facility, or organization offering day care
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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