Meanings
babysitting1
alternative baby sitting · alternative baby-sitting
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of babysit
babysitting2
plural babysittings
- uncountableusuallyThe work of a babysitter; the care of children in the temporary absence of their parents or guardians.
But some have no parents, or none to speak of, and are living with a grandmother or uncle or married sister or sister who's not married but has three tots of her own to look after, or this unruly student's helping her to take care of them with babysitting or a paying after-school job.
2013, Stephen Dixon, 30 Pieces of a Novel, →ISBNSynonyms: daycare
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe work of a babysitter; the care of children in the temporary absence of their parents or guardians.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe work of a baby sitter; caring for children when their parents are not home
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
babysitting · verb
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Danish babysitning, babysitting
- babysitningwork of a babysitter
- babysittingwork of a babysitter
French baby-sitting
- baby-sittingwork of a babysitter
Hebrew שמירטוף
- שמירטוף (shmirtúf)work of a babysitter
Japanese 子守
- 子守 (komori)work of a babysitter
Polish babysitting
- babysittingwork of a babysitter
Russian бебиситтинг
- бебиситтинг (bebisitting)work of a babysitter
Cite this entry
babysitting. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/babysitting
“babysitting.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/babysitting. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “babysitting,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/babysitting.
Source: babysitting on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.