childcare

noun

child·​care ˈchī(-ə)ld-ˌker How to pronounce childcare (audio)
variants or child care
: the care of children especially as a service while parents are working
Erratic week-to-week work schedules make it nearly impossible to manage a personal budget or secure childcare.David Dayen

Examples of childcare in a Sentence

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.
Meanwhile, Harris admitted the Biden administration made another error by not making Americans’ most pressing needs, such as affordable childcare or paid family leave, its top legislative priority. Jason Ma, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025 Economic factors play a large role in this, with the cost of living, housing, student loan debt, and childcare being important considerations. Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025 Aguiar-Curry held court for over three hours, hearing from state agencies as well as childcare providers and the organizations and unions that work with them. Kate Wolffe october 17, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2025 The company says that it can be used for residential builds and townhouse developments, to commercial projects and childcare centers. Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for childcare

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of childcare was in 1896

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Childcare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/childcare. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!