nanny

noun

nan·​ny ˈna-nē How to pronounce nanny (audio)
variants or less commonly nannie
plural nannies
Synonyms of nannynext
: a child's nurse or caregiver

Synonyms of nanny

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Examples of nanny in a Sentence

When I was growing up, I had a nanny. wrote a memoir recounting her days as a nanny for the rich and often indiscreet
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Shortly after launch, their nanny at a nearby Airbnb shared a video of their two children, ages 5 and 1, watching, too. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026 Long after the abolition of slavery, many white southerners, including my father, who was born into the first breaths of the civil-rights movement, were still raised by Black nannies. — Annie Joy Williams, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026 Testimony from doctors, her former nanny and other witnesses also brought her to tears. — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 According to family lore, the writer met his namesake in 1789, Washington’s first year as President, when his Scottish nanny, Lizzie, stopped the great man on a street in lower Manhattan. — Eric Lach, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nanny

Word History

Etymology

probably of baby-talk origin

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nanny was in 1785

Phrases Containing nanny

Rhymes for nanny

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Browse Nearby Words

nannoplankton
nanny
nannyberry
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Cite this Entry

“Nanny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nanny. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

nanny

noun
nan·​ny ˈnan-ē How to pronounce nanny (audio)
: a woman who is paid to care for a young child usually in the child's home
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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