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.
The call that day care manager Mendez should have placed to 911 was made to her husband, who rushed over to the day care center and later fled with two full shopping bags, officials said. Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026 Kilo presses and drug packaging paraphernalia were also found inside the day care. Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026 Though the outbreak was concentrated in Gaines County, a community an hour away, Wells, who heads Lubbock’s public health department, needed more staff to respond to numerous exposures at local pediatricians’ offices, urgent care centers, restaurants and day cares. Erika Edwards, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026 That effort comes after allegations of fraud involving day care centers run by Somali residents in Minneapolis prompted a massive immigration crackdown in the Midwestern city, resulting in widespread protests. Michelle L. Price, Fortune, 26 Feb. 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 7 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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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