weaning

4 synonyms for weaning, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — The process of moving a baby or young animal off milk and on to solid food.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

withdrawing

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

ablactation tapering phasing out

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

The process of moving a baby or young animal off milk and on to solid food.

“We started weaning at six months with mashed banana.”

ablactation

2. verb

Present participle of wean: gradually getting someone off a habit, drug or dependence they have relied on.

“She is weaning herself off caffeine a cup at a time.”

tapering withdrawing phasing out

How to use weaning

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

baby-led weaning weaning off start weaning weaning food weaning age

In British usage weaning means starting solids; in some American and veterinary usage it means stopping milk altogether, which is why advice can seem contradictory. The habit sense almost always takes "off".

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between weaning and baby-led weaning?

Weaning is the whole process of introducing solid food. Baby-led weaning is one method of doing it, offering soft finger foods the baby feeds themselves rather than spoon-feeding purées.

What is the difference between weaning and waning?

Weaning is moving off milk or off a dependence. Waning means getting smaller or weaker, as with a waning moon or waning enthusiasm. They sound similar but are unrelated.

When should weaning start?

Health services in the UK and the WHO advise around six months, when a baby can sit up, hold their head steady and bring food to their mouth. Ask a health visitor or doctor about your own child rather than going by age alone.

People also searched

withdrawing tapering ablactation

Nearby words

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