latchkey child

noun

1. a child who must spend at least part of the day alone and unsupervised, as when the parents are away at work.

latchkey child

noun

1. a child who has to let himself or herself in at home on returning from school, as his or her parents are out at work

Word History and Origins

Origin of latchkey child¹

First recorded in 1940–45; so called because such a child is provided with a key for getting into the home after school