Synonyms

day care

American

[dey kair] / ˈdeɪ ˌkɛər /

noun

supervised daytime care for preschool children, the elderly, or those with chronic disabilities, usually provided at a center outside the home.

Finding quality day care that we can afford has been challenging.

adjective

of, relating to, or providing day care.

daycare center;
day-care program.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

day cares

plural

Etymology

Origin of day care

First recorded in 1895–1900 for noun, and 1940–45 for adjective

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Under the planned tax credit in Connecticut, caregivers can receive up to $2,000 a year for expenditures for home modifications, necessary medical equipment and services like home health aides, adult day care and respite care.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

In Malaysia, revenue is forecast to grow 12.3%, supported by higher day care volumes, medical tourism and bed expansion, while margins are set to improve on cost discipline, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Most caregivers do not delve into the details of the cost of a private room versus a shared room, or adult day care versus home care, until they are in the thick of it.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026

Her oldest daughter is in transitional kindergarten and out of day care, meaning that Quintanilla had to start from scratch on the waitlist.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2026

There’s a kind of day care where the grandparents take care of little kids.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023