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.
Across the chain, all profits are funneled back into the Navy and help to fund its morale, welfare and recreation programs, which offer sailors and their families access to services like day cares, gyms, counseling and community events. Gabrielle Fonrouge,ryan Baker, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026 Minnesota law also requires licensed and legal unlicensed day care providers to complete training related to safe sleep environments and preventing SIDS. Wcco Staff, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026 The least expensive option is adult day care services, with the national median cost at $95 daily, or $24,700 annually based on five days per week, according to the 2025 Genworth/CareScout Cost of Care Survey. Medora Lee, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2026 New jobs are heavily concentrated in health care and social assistance (which includes day care and vocational rehabilitation centers). Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 3 Apr. 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 10 Apr. 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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