latchkey

American  

[lach-kee] / ˈlætʃˌki /

noun

plural

latchkeys

1. a key for releasing a latch or springlock, especially on an outer door.

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latchkey British  

/ ˈlætʃˌkiː /

noun

1. a key for an outside door or gate, esp one that lifts a latch

2. 1. a supposed freedom from restrictions

   2. ( as modifier )

      a latchkey existence

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Etymology

Origin of latchkey

First recorded in 1815–25; latch + key ¹

Example Sentences

The exchange arrived in Season1, Episode 2, as Meghan detailed how she grew up as an average American latchkey kid who ate a lot of fast food.

From Los Angeles Times

I view that album in particular very much within the realm of a child who grows up in a latchkey situation.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s a lovely landing for a latchkey kid who grew up eating Jack in the Box, and we’re not mad at it.

From Salon

She mentions: "I was a latchkey kid, so I grew up with a lot of fast food and TV tray meals."

From BBC

Don’t tell helicopter parents, but the gleefully transgressive flicks that entertained a generation of latchkey wildlings are coming back in style.

From New York Times