toddler

American  

[tod-ler] / ˈtɒd lər /

noun

1. a person who toddles, especially a young child learning to walk.

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toddler British  

/ ˈtɒdlə /

noun

1. a young child, usually one between the ages of one and two and a half

2. (modifier) designed or suitable for a toddler

   toddler suits

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Other Word Forms

• toddlerhood
  noun

Etymology

Origin of toddler

First recorded in 1785–95; toddle + -er ¹

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."

Example Sentences

Within an hour, I conjured a performance review, a project postmortem and a meal plan engineered to satisfy a picky toddler and use up every veggie in my fridge.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

“The Mandalorian and Grogu” takes the series’ thematic underpinnings — what parenting looks like between a masked human loner and an otherworldly toddler — and deepens them.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

One person says they don’t want to be a bad parent to their toddler.

From Slate • May 10, 2026

What was once a sacred nightly routine—putting the toddler to bed, collapsing onto the couch and opening their laptops to finish their work in peace—had become anything but peaceful.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

Angela drove down from New Jersey to visit sometimes, but she was juggling both a toddler and a job.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• child
• infant
• kid
• youngster