toddler
Americannoun
noun
-
a young child, usually one between the ages of one and two and a half
-
(modifier) designed or suitable for a toddler
toddler suits
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of toddler
Explanation
Use the noun toddler to describe a small child who is just learning how to walk. A toddler is older than a baby but not quite old enough for elementary school. It's the time in a child's life when she reaches all kinds of milestones: walking, talking, playing with other kids, and more. The word toddler was first used in 1793, and it developed out of the Scottish word toddle, or "to run or walk with short, unsteady steps."
Vocabulary lists containing toddler
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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.
See Examples For:
A soccer dome opening in the hometown of Erling Haaland when he was a toddler was the equivalent of the Cavern Club opening in Liverpool when The Beatles were teenagers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
During the call, employees allegedly said they did not think the toddler needed to be picked up early.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
A US toddler who was found unresponsive in an Arizona pool and declared dead was later discovered to be alive in the hospital's "cold room", a newly released police report shows.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
“The taste is the inheritance,” said Kaweenuntawong, who remembers sipping spoonfuls as a toddler.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
“Ah. Part of an Oreo. A client yesterday had her toddler with her. She was eating cookies and moving my stuff all around. Thanks for catching that.”
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
Authorities said Paez, whose monikers include “Carlitos” and “Carlitos Rugrats,” appeared to have named his faction after the Nickelodeon animated series “Rugrats,” a show about a group of toddlers and their day-to-day lives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Dave Eddon, 42, and wife Claire had decided to extend their property in Higher Kinnerton, Flintshire, as they raised a one-year-old baby, and toddlers, aged two and four.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
But their hope for endless playmates goes wrong when they get manhandled by toddlers and held hostage by Lotso, leading to a climactic escape from an incinerator.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Beneath azure skies and fluffy white clouds, three giggling toddlers and their mothers arrive at a candy-colored water park in the town of CoComelon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
I imagine tiny look-alike toddlers in baggy pants—Little Chuck 1 and Little Chuck 2.
From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
