baby step
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
A small, initial step in a process or action
Literally: a step taken by a baby
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
She took a baby step towards learning the new language by enrolling in a beginner's course
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “baby step” mean?
A small, initial step in a process or action Literally: a step taken by a baby
Is “baby step” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.