toddler

toddler — noun

1. A young child who has begun walking but is not yet steady on their feet, typical

1.nounC2
Definition

A young child who has begun walking but is not yet steady on their feet, typically between the ages of one and three years.

Example

Dario's toddler, Adina, took her first wobbly steps across the living room.

collocation: toddler + possessive noun

The nursery has a special playroom for toddlers with soft mats and low tables.

Common collocations
  • fussy toddler
  • busy toddler
  • toddler group
  • toddler bed
  • raise a toddler
Synonyms
  • infant

    refers to a very young baby, usually under one year old, who cannot walk

  • preschooler

    an older child aged three to five, past the early walking stage

  • little one

    informal, affectionate term for a young child of any age

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

article/determiner + toddler

toddler + of + possessive noun

Usage Note

Commonly used with a possessive determiner (my, his, their) or with the definite article when referring to a specific child. The plural form 'toddlers' is frequent in general statements about children in this age group.

Common Mistakes

The baby is two years old and loves running.' (using 'baby' when the child can walk well)
The toddler is two years old and loves running.
'baby' usually refers to infants who cannot yet walk; 'toddler' refers to children who have started walking.
My toddler is six months old.
My baby is six months old.
A six-month-old is not yet walking; 'toddler' is appropriate only after a child begins to walk, typically around one year old.

Word family

  • toddle
    verbC1
  • toddling
    adjectiveC2
  • toddlerhood
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four terms all refer to young humans but mark different developmental stages. Baby is the broadest informal term, used from birth until about age two or three, but strongly associated with non-walking infants. Infant is the formal, clinical term for a child under one year old — used in medical records and parenting books. Toddler (the entry word) fills the gap between baby/infant and preschooler, referring specifically to children aged roughly one to three who are learning to walk. Preschooler describes children aged three to five, old enough to attend nursery school and walk confidently. Child is the most general term, covering all ages from baby to teenager. For example, a pediatrician might track an infant's growth at six months, watch a toddler's walking development at eighteen months, and assess a preschooler's language skills at age four.

baby ↗infant ↗preschoolerchild ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • toddler group
  • toddler bed
  • toddler class
  • toddler stage

Adverbs

Phrases

  • terrible twos (colloquial stage of toddlerhood)
  • toddler-proof (made safe for toddlers)

Prepositions

  • of (e.g. mother of a toddler)
  • for (e.g. toys for toddlers)

Etymology

Scots/Northern English dialectEnglish

The word 'toddler' comes from the verb 'toddle', which describes the short, unsteady steps a young child takes when first learning to walk. The suffix '-er' turns the action into a person who does it. 'Toddle' first appeared in English around the year 1600, probably from Scottish or northern English dialect sources, where it may have been related to the older word 'totter' (to shake or sway). The noun 'toddler' itself was not widely used until the late 19th century, when parenting and child-development literature needed a precise term for children past infancy but not yet ready for nursery school.