What does babysitting mean?
Babysitting refers to the temporary care of a child or children, usually while their parents are away from home, most often in the evening. The person doing it is called a babysitter, and the work is typically informal, paid hourly, and performed by teenagers or young adults rather than trained childcare professionals. This distinguishes it from nannying or daycare, which involve regular, ongoing employment. The word also carries a figurative sense: supervising someone or something demanding constant attention, as in 'half my day was spent babysitting the new software rollout.' First appearing in American English during the 1930s, the term quickly became embedded in everyday speech and culture, reflecting the rise of suburban family life. Connotations are generally casual and benign, though the figurative use can imply mild annoyance at being reduced to mere supervision. It remains one of the most familiar words associated with childcare worldwide.
The temporary care of a child or children while their parents or guardians are away.
"Babysitting was her main source of pocket money throughout high school."
(Figurative) The act of closely supervising someone or something that requires constant attention.
"He complained that half his job was babysitting unreliable vendors."
'Babysitting' is an uncountable (mass) noun and does not take a plural form.
"She does babysitting on weekends to earn extra cash."
The word 'babysitter' didn't exist until the 1930s — before then, no one had a name for the now-universal teenage side gig.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of babysitting
Babysitting derives from the compound 'babysitter', formed in American English in the mid-1930s from 'baby' (from Middle English 'babee', likely imitative of infant sounds) plus 'sit', referring literally to sitting with a child. The gerund form 'babysitting' followed shortly after. Related forms include 'babysit' as a verb and 'babysat' as its past tense; cognate compounds using 'sit' appear in words such as 'house-sit' and 'pet-sit', formed on the same pattern.
Related word forms
How babysitting is actually used
Informal to neutral in register; widely understood in both British and American English. In American English it is often written as one word ('babysitting'), while some British usage prefers 'baby-sitting'.
Easily confused with babysitting
Babysitting is occasional, informal child care, whereas nannying is a regular, often full-time professional role.