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.
At a recent recall petition drive, Christa Putnam, 53, a county resident and day care cook, spent the afternoon vigilant for any misprints that could disqualify or challenge a signature. Bracey Harris, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2026 Though the school is not named in the criminal complaint, the details in it line up with KinderHaus’s lawsuit against Misczak, and a law enforcement source confirmed the day care as the preschool involved. John Annese, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026 That followed allegations of fraud involving day care centers run by Somali residents in Minneapolis that prompted a massive immigration crackdown in the Midwestern city and led to widespread protests. ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026 Child care provider Bright Horizons has agreed to give up its permit for a Manhattan day care center where two CBS News New York investigations exposed safety hazards and accusations of child abuse. Tim McNicholas, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026 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 27 Mar. 2026.

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
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