Phrase guide

it takes a village to raise a child

proverb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

proverb

Meaning 1

An entire community of people must provide for, and interact positively with, children in order for those children to grow up healthily and safely.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: it takes a village

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Unknown. Possibly an adage, borrowed as a calque from a neighboring or contact language. Gained popularity around 1990.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 要養育一個小孩,需舉全村之力 /要养育一个小孩 — an entire community must provide for children
  • Chinese Mandarin: 需举全村之力 (yào yǎngyù yīgè xiǎohái, xū jǔ quán cūn zhī lì) — an entire community must provide for children
  • Finnish: lapsen kasvattamiseen tarvitaan koko kylä — an entire community must provide for children