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Definition of babysitter

babysitter

/ˈbeɪbiˌsɪtər/
ba · by · sit · ter
Plural:babysitters
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babysitter Lexical Profile

babysitter Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A person who takes care of someone else's child or children temporarily while the parents or guardians are away.

Example

"They hired a reliable neighborhood teenager as a babysitter for the evening so they could attend the concert."

2

A person tasked with closely supervising, monitoring, or looking after a dependent, irresponsible, or inexperienced adult (often informal or humorous).

Example

"As a project manager, she made it clear that she was there to coordinate the workflow, not to act as a babysitter for her team."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for babysitter

Word Nuance & Usage

Unlike a nanny or au pair, who provides regular, ongoing, or live-in childcare, a babysitter is typically hired on a temporary, short-term, or occasional basis.

• Nearby Words

babymother
babyproof
babysit
babysitter
babytalk
babywearing
bacalhau

Word Origin & Etymology

First recorded in American English in 1937 as an agent noun derived from the compound 'baby' and 'sit', from the practice of sitting quietly in a room while watching over a sleeping child.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Babysitter. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/babysitter
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