toddler

noun

tod·​dler ˈtä-dᵊl-ər 

ˈtäd-lər

plural toddlers

: a person who toddles

especially : a young child usually between one and three years old

It's no secret that kids need plenty of sleep. For a preschooler (3 to 5 years old), that's as much as 11 to 13 hours, including naps; for a toddler (1 to 3), 12 to 14 hours; for a baby under 1, 14 to 15 hours.

—Stacey Colino

toddlerhood

ˈtä-dᵊl-ər-ˌhu̇d 

ˈtäd-lər-

noun

Examples of toddler in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The boy and his grandmother’s identities have not been shared publicly at this time, but it was disclosed that the toddler would have turned 2 next week. — Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026

Oyo Nyimba, the king of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom who took the throne as a toddler, has died at 34, leaving behind a prince heir whose identity remains undisclosed. — Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Rory McIlroy is another one of the world’s top golfers with a young child at home, though his 5-year-old daughter Poppy has moved out of the toddler stage. — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

To most people, Jessie Gonzales looks like any other toddler. — Bo Evans, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

toddler

noun

tod·​dler ˈtäd-lər 

-ᵊl-ər

: a young child

toddlerhood

-ˌhu̇d 

noun