latchkey

noun

latch·​key ˈlach-ˌkē How to pronounce latchkey (audio)
: a key to an outside and especially a front door

Examples of latchkey in a Sentence

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.
Skills every latchkey kid should have Children, experts say, should have several basic skills before becoming latchkey kids, which include knowing the following: How to lock and unlock a door. John Tufts, IndyStar, 25 Nov. 2025 Thanks to Hillary Knight’s illustrations, the world’s luckiest latchkey kid lives forever in ink. Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 Nov. 2025 The latchkey kids who were left home to fend for ourselves. Glynnis MacNicol, Flow Space, 8 Oct. 2025 Children like Paulette were often called 'latchkey kids,' a term used to describe children who returned to an empty home after school and let themselves in with their own key. Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for latchkey

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of latchkey was in 1825

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Cite this Entry

“Latchkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/latchkey. Accessed 18 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

latchkey

noun
latch·​key ˈlach-ˌkē How to pronounce latchkey (audio)
: a key for opening a door latch
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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